Parents' Guide to

Speaking in Tongues

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Docu focuses on benefits of multilingual education.

TV PBS Educational 2005
Speaking in Tongues Poster Image

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What's the Story?

SPEAKING IN TONGUES centers on San Francisco's language-immersion school programs, which are considered controversial by some. The film follows four students -- kindergartner Durell Laury, fifth grader Jason Patino, sixth grader Kelly Wong, and eighth grader Julian Enis -- for a year while they attend elementary schools that provide 90 percent of their education in languages such as Cantonese, Mandarin, and Spanish. It also features commentary from multilingual education activist Dr. Ling-chi Wang.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This informative documentary focuses on the benefits of immersing children in foreign languages, including better English language and math skills, high test scores, and the chance to become global citizens (participation also offers some students the opportunity to hold on to their first language while developing strong English language skills). The film also points out that multilingual students have potential advantages in the future -- like getting into good schools, finding better jobs, and staying competitive in a global economy.

While Speaking in Tongues underscores the immersion program's successes, it doesn't spend much time exploring existing arguments against immersion curriculum (including lack of funding and English-only legislation) in depth. As a result, it sometimes feels like an extended infomercial for immersion. But it does offer an interesting look at what immersion education is all about and what it seeks to accomplish.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about being multilingual. What are the benefits of knowing more than one language? Are there any drawbacks? What are some of the arguments in favor and against bilingual education?

  • What perspective does this movie take on its main subject? Is it OK for documentaries to have an opinon, or should they be objective?

TV Details

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