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None of the recent discussions of bilingual education, including your May 12 editorial (“It’s immersion, not subversion”), has mentioned the psychological research on brain development in children. That research shows that the younger the children, the more capability they have to learn languages, including second (or third) languages. So the sooner and more thoroughly they are immersed in the second language, the faster and better they will master that language.
Mastery of English in no way jeopardizes children’s mastery of their native language. But mastery of English will enhance their school achievement. Not only will it not cause those students to drop out, but it will help keep them in school because they will be more successful.
