Mexican border state is teaching all students English

This Mexican state that borders Texas wants all its students to be bilingual. This will be a great benefit for them, I wish US schools would do the same. DP

By ALFREDO CORCHADO, The Dallas Morning News


CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico | It isn’t perfect English, but it’s pretty darn close.

Spoken in unison, the words flow effortlessly from a group of smiling students. So does their message.

“English is important to me,” said 11-year-old Silvia Alejandra Briseno, “because it means more opportunities and better communication when I grow up. Hopefully, a better job too, here, or there in Texas.”

Her bilingual teacher, Mary Lou Tamez, said: “English is critical, especially when you realize who our neighbors are — Texans.”

With great hopes, the Texas border state of Tamaulipas has declared itself the first bilingual state in Mexico, deciding that its 320,000 public school students, from elementary to high school, will learn conversational English.

State authorities say the pilot program will break down language barriers and create opportunities. They see Tamaulipas as a giant laboratory.

“Our efforts are aimed at preparing students for a more competitive world filled with technology and English,” Gov. Eugenio Hernandez said at a ceremony inaugurating the program. “Let’s face it. The world speaks English. And even if you can only speak a little, you can defend yourself and compete.”

The Tamaulipas effort is one of several under way in Mexico — from Mexico City to the Texas border states of Chihuahua and Nuevo Leon — to teach students and business leaders English. Tamaulipas, however, represents the biggest experiment.

One of four Mexican states abutting Texas, Tamaulipas shares a long border with the Lone Star State. Annually, millions cross the border on foot or by car to shop, work or play. Overall, more than 50 percent of all U.S.-Mexico trade crosses through Tamaulipas and Texas.

The top industries are agriculture, foreign-owned manufacturing, fishing, ports and petrochemicals. Because of its geography and proximity to Texas, the state also has long been a magnet to drug traffickers.