Educators debate teaching Spanish to Lee students

Some educators say all students should learn a second language to help communicate in a global society, and they've found an ally in School Board member Elinor Scricca. The former teacher and administrator speaks four languages and has developed foreign language programs for elementary schools.

"With our culture being as multicultural as it is, our students need to be at least acquainted with the Spanish language and culture," Scricca said.

About 20 percent of the Lee County School District's total enrollment is Hispanic, although elementary populations have a greater proportion of Hispanic students than high schools. Spring Creek Elementary in Bonita Springs has more Hispanic students than white, the first school in Lee County in which Hispanics have become the majority.

Spring Creek hired a multicultural teacher in 2000 to provide overviews of cultures from around the world, and the school added a full-time Spanish instructor in 2002 to begin teaching fundamental language skills. As bilingual children are able to help their classmates who are not yet fluent in English, Spanish-speakers can assist their English-speaking peers during Spanish classes.

Children at Spring Creek learn Spanish words for colors, numbers, weather, food, shopping, parts of the body, clothing and the seasons. Although the class is popular among students, having just one teacher for a school of 900-plus students means teacher Mercedes Meier only circulates once every six days.

"I wish that I had more time with them," said Meier, a native of Venezuela. "The learning comes from repetition."

Although some critics say schools should only teach English skills, studies show younger children can actually learn languages faster while their brains are still developing.

"They are doing quite well, and there's more interest among the English-speaking students," Meier said. "It's proven that children can grasp a foreign language better at early ages."

Some Three Oaks Elementary teachers offer less formal Spanish language lessons, reviewing numbers and colors with younger children. Like most schools, earlier grades have a greater percentage of Hispanic and other minority students because more young families are moving to Southwest Florida.

"Our largest concentration of Spanish language instruction is at kindergarten and first grade, where we have a nice blend of languages," Principal Vivian Posey said.

Lee County has been reviewing its academic offerings at the elementary, middle and high school levels, perhaps hoping to standardize some programs at every school. Currently, each elementary school has the option of offering a foreign language.