Published: January 1, 1998

English Spoken Here

Her 1st grade students don't know it, but Gloria Matta Tuchman is a living legend at Taft Elementary School in Santa Ana, California. "She is our resident saint, you know," remarks the school's receptionist. Her colleagues speak of her in reverent tones. "We're really supporting Gloria," says fellow 1st grade teacher Jean Gross, "because the way she teaches is the only way. It's the way we all teach here."

Largely because of Tuchman's efforts, students at Taft who are not proficient in English—about half of the school's 1,080 enrollment—are immersed in the language from the time they enter kindergarten. The method is called "sheltered English immersion," and it's a radical departure from the bilingual approach required—with some exceptions—by the state of California.

In bilingual classes, students are taught core subjects in their primary language—in California, that's predominantly Spanish—as they simultaneously learn to read and write in English. Ideally, by 4th grade the students are fluent in the language and can successfully make the...