City's First Bengali Dual-Language Class To Be At Elmhurst School

ELMHURST, QUEENS — One Elmhurst school will be the first in New York City to offer its students a program taught half in English and half in Bengali, lawmakers announced Thursday.

The New York City Department of Education will roll out the South Asian dual-language program, the first of its kind, at P.S. 7 Louis F. Simeone School in September following a persuasive letter from Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-Queens) and Congressman Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx) in 2015, the politicians said.

“New York City has made great strides in offering a variety of language programs for our city’s schoolchildren, and I’m honored that Queens will be home to the first South Asian dual language program,” Crowley said.

Dual-language programs, which teach students half in English and half in another language, are offered to English-language learners - immigrant students who speak both English and their native tongue.

Former NYC Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña added 25 new dual-language programs and expanded 15 existing ones in citywide public schools in 2015. That October, Reps. Crowley and Meng penned her a letter asking the then-chancellor to include South Asian languages into the programs.

"As you know, NYC public schools boast 182 dual-language programs...however there are no dual language programs in any South Asian languages," the letter read.

They pointed out more than 351,000 South Asians lived in NYC, and more than 60 percent of them resided in Queens. Bengali was the most common language among the vastly diverse population with more than 84,000 speakers, according to the letter. Urdu, the second most common language, had less than half that amount.

"By bringing Bengali into the classroom, we are creating new opportunities of South Asian descent to thrive," Crowley said.

Meng said she was thrilled to have the first Bengali dual-language program in her district of Queens, but said she now wants to see the DOT expanded it other South Asian languages for Indian, Pakistani, Nepalese and other communities from the region.

"By establishing the first South Asian dual language program, the DOE demonstrations that it understands how important these programs are to the South Asian community," she said.

"Dual language programs help immigrant students flourish in the classroom, and provides them with opportunities to succeed in life."

(Lead photo via Shutterstock)