Bilingual education is growing in Texas which is among the leading states in the nation in the number of schools using bilingual programs at the elementary and secondary level. About a sixth of the almost 5 million students in Texas public and charter schools are classified as “limited English learners,” according to the Texas Education Agency. But any student can enroll in a dual-language program with the end goal of becoming bilingual and biliterate in two languages.
On November 20, I was in Houston to give a talk on the role that parents can play in creating and sustaining a bilingual program. The meeting was organized by the Comité pour une Education bilingue français-anglais, a volunteer organization that seeks to create a French-English two-way immersion program in a public school in Houston – the first of its kind in Texas. I answered numerous questions from the many parents and educators who came that night.
Here is the video of my presentation:
The same day, I also took part in a meeting at the Houston Independent School District where I was able to give a presentation about New York City’s dual-language programs. The following day, I gave a similar talk in Austin, organized by Français du Monde South Central USA where I encouraged parents interested in a French dual language program to get organized and follow the Bilingual Revolution’s roadmap to create such a program in the city.
I finished my tour of Texas with a stop in San Antonio where I gave a presentation on The Bilingual Revolution, and another one on French heritage language communities in the United States during the annual meeting of ACTFL –the largest gathering of language teachers in the U.S. with over 6000 participants.
You can download the Powerpoint here: The Bilingual Revolution – Houston and Austin
Related articles:
- Interest for French-English bilingual education growing in Texas / Un intérêt croissant pour l’éducation bilingue français-anglais au Texas, Français du Monde South Central USA, November 25, 2014
- Programme bilingue public à Austin: une maman se mobilise, par Cécile Fandos, French Morning, 24 avril 2014
- Programmes bilingues: des réunions d’information à Houston et Austin, Par Perrine Signoret, French Morning, 13 novembre 2014
FABRICE JAUMONT 