The idea is: students who speak little English learn more in
their native tongue. The question is, how much English should be
taught? In the Kindergarten immersion class at Susan B Anthony
Elementary School, 90 percent of the coursework is in Hmong. The
English content will increase by 10 percent every year. Today,
First grade teacher Ia Lee Her's class is working on the
alphabet. Lee Her says the plan calls for the Hmong and English
lessons to be taught at separate times. She is already diverging
from the plan LEE HER: "I want them to comprehend a little bit,
so that's why it was doing it Hmong…explaining in Hmong, yet
having them tell me the letter in English." Susan B Anthony
offers private tutoring and a full-time aid. Every student in
the class is Hmong. Over at Edward Kemble Elementary, Spanish
Immersion has been offered for 20 years. The kids in those
classes are mostly Hispanic, but include some white and black
students. Half of their instruction is in English. Half is in
Spanish. Nancy Lopez says the