Learning a second language is no easy feat, especially in a short amount of time. What’s even harder is needing to use that new language to complete complex, high school level schoolwork. However, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, over 5.3 million U.S. students at public schools are English language learners, 1.1 million of whom are in California, and must do this daily. Berkeley High School is no exception to this, and students who speak English as their second language find it can add challenges to having confidence and achieving academic success.
Aina Ribes Hurtado is from Spain, and was brought to Berkeley through the exchange program AFS.
“I think the hardest part of being in a school that doesn’t speak your native language is participating in class,” Ribes Hurtado said, “It’s really difficult because you are not confident enough to speak in front of the whole class in a language that you don’t completely control.”
Many classes use participation as a large part of the semester grade, so limited confidence in this can bring grades down.
For more recent English learners who haven’t gone through all of their school years speaking it, there’s also the social aspect of not being 100 percent confident in a language.
“Slang and stuff, I never really learned,” Lila Rodet, a BHS sophmore, who was born in France, said. “(It’s hard) not being able to fully communicate because some words I just don’t have.”
Like Rodet, Marcia Gonzalez, a BHS junior, speaks a different language at home with her family. “I do feel more comfortable while speaking Spanish because I speak Spanish with those who are close to me. Since Spanish is my first language and my parents’ (too), it was the only language we would speak at home,” Gonzalez said.
BHS has a program for students who are English language learners and recent immigrants, called the Multilingual Program (MLP). Students are placed in classes according to their level, ranging from beginner English speakers, to almost fluent. From this, students move on to their small school, and integrate into BHS’s language environment. As of 2022, there were 78 students enrolled in the MLP, speaking 22 different languages, and immigrating from 32 different countries, according to the Berkeley Public Schools Fund. MLP also helps the families navigate the culture and school system, as many are new immigrants.
Bilingual people and students alike can find that the way they act can vary slightly from language to language, depending on their comfort in each.
“I don’t feel like a different person, but it’s true that I can be a little different speaking English than speaking my native language because it’s harder to express yourself when you’re speaking a language that’s not yours and you are still learning,” said Ribes Hurtado.
Each language also has cultural norms attached to it, changing the way its speaker may act.
While being bilingual in schools can come with its fair share of challenges, it has been proven that it’s also extremely beneficial in other ways too. In a study of 19,000 children conducted by Anita Staneva at the University of Sydney, those who spoke different languages at home lagged behind in school around ages four and five, but excelled later, because knowing two languages teaches one’s brain to be flexible and adaptable.
Each student has a unique experience at BHS, and although speaking English as a second language can sometimes make that experience a harder one, students may find that in the long run the benefits far outweigh the initial challenges, with being bilingual not only leading to more potential opportunities but also improving someone’s brain’s ability to be flexible and adaptable.