2006 Campus-Community Partnerships

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Listos

Abstract:

¡Listos! is a collaboration between ABRAZAR and the UCLA Department of Spanish and Portuguese to adapt and implement an after-school Spanish-language acquisition curriculum targeted for African-American children participating in the Foundation for Second Chances Mentoring Program at 42nd Street Elementary School in South Los Angeles. While the changing demographics of Los Angeles neighborhoods and communities clearly indicate that Spanish-language fluency will be an essential skill for the next workforce generation, the Los Angeles public school system has placed minimal attention on dual language acquisition for all children.

This is particularly true for many African-American children who attend schools where Spanish speakers constitute the majority and the language emphasis is primarily on the acquisition of English as a Second Language. As school districts focus on meeting "No Child Left Behind" requirements the opportunity is missed to provide many Los Angeles youth with a foreign language skill that will prepare them to meet the needs of a diverse workforce and society. The ¡Listos! Project seeks to address this gap by providing a school-site based opportunity for African-American children to engage in Spanish-language learning at an age that will build a strong foundation for continued Spanish-language learning and ultimately, acquisition.

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