Lighthouse Bilingual Christian School
By Micah Burns
Lighthouse Bilingual Christian School launched its inaugural year this August with the purpose of helping students of English speaking and Spanish speaking families to become fluent in both Spanish and English. Lighthouse Bilingual Christian School is located in Lighthouse Private Christian Academy in Gadsden Street United Methodist Church in Pensacola (near Cervantes Street and 9th Avenue, behind Krispy Kreme), though the school itself is non-denominational.
In our first few months as a school, we have seen a lot of great things happen. Children have been learning Bible verses in Spanish and English, reading out loud to each other in both languages, memorizing and singing Christian songs in Spanish, practicing with language learning apps, and having the opportunity to speak to other students in both languages. We have children who are native English speakers who can now read and sing Spanish, heritage speakers who now have practice reading Spanish that they did not have before, and native Spanish speakers who are on their way to learning English in an environment that also values their ability to speak Spanish.
Our two teachers, Tessie de Avila and Micah Burns, bring a balance to the program as one is a native Spanish speaker and the other is a native English speaker. De Avila is from Puerto Rico and understands the challenges a native Spanish speaker has learning English as she moved to Pensacola from Puerto Rico as an adult. Burns learned Spanish by studying in Spain as a student in university and understands that the challenges for an English speaker learning Spanish are far different than the challenges a native Spanish speaker has learning English due to the differences in what makes each language challenging to learn. He has a Master’s Degree in Romance Languages: Spanish as well as a graduate concentration in linguistics. He has developed special language learning materials unique to LBCS. This balance in our leadership helps us to reach each student.
We believe very strongly in bilingual education; it is vital for children of Spanish-speaking families in the fight to maintain their heritage. Research shows that by the third generation after immigrating to the United States, most immigrant families will have lost their native language. There may be a stereotype that immigrants do not want to learn English, but the exact opposite is true: they must work very hard to maintain their Spanish speaking ability. Whereas English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs only seek to teach students English, we want to develop each student’s reading, writing, and speaking skills in Spanish and English so that they will be able to preserve their language heritage and to reach others for Christ in both languages.
With these goals, we will continue to develop our school and to grow. We hope to bring you more news soon.
In Christ