Earlier in this century, such children would have been expected to learn English practically by osmosis, either sinking or swimming on their own. Of course, millions of children did learn this way, but many others failed, falling further behind each year or dropping out of school altogether. First, teaching English to poor, non-English speaking kids isn't always easy, especially if such children constitute a majority in their classroom or school and speak a single, common language, which is the case in most school districts with large Hispanic immigrant populations. What's more, the few hours of the school day in which such children can practice English may not compensate for the disadvantages of living in an environment where English is rarely, if ever, heard. Language classes should be smaller than other classes, ideally no more than 15 or 20 students to a class.
Large classes deprive students of adequate time to practice speaking English.
No one learns another language simply by listening to others speak it. Teachers should be specially trained in language acquisition and should have age-appropriate materials available for the students. In most cases, it would be helpful if the teacher understands and speaks the native language of her students, although she should be discouraged from using it except as a last resort. Since most school districts don't have extra money to fund such programs, local businesses and community groups should pitch in to help. Teachers unions should encourage their members to volunteer their own time, or at least allow outside volunteers to teach these classes if regular teachers won't.