Los Angeles Daily News, CA
April 28 2006

Armenian language may be taught better
BY ALEX DOBUZINSKIS, Staff Writer

An Assembly bill that would improve Armenian language instruction in
public schools has passed its first test by winning committee
approval.

Assemblyman Dario Frommer, D-Glendale, introduced the bill earlier
this year to create a credentialing program for Armenian-language
instruction, putting it on par with Spanish, French and other
languages taught in schools.

The bill passed the Assembly education committee Wednesday. It now
goes to the appropriations committee.

“I think we’re recognizing that this is a large and vibrant community
and it has a lot of different needs,” Frommer said Thursday.

California has about 500,000 Armenian-Americans. Some are recent
immigrants and some have been here for years.

“We’re recognizing this community has different facets and we’re
trying to respond to that, and I think this is one way we can do it,”
Frommer said.

The Glendale Unified School District offers Armenian courses at its
three main high schools. The teachers are of Armenian descent and are
credentialed in a program for bilingual and cross-cultural
instruction.

But Armenian skills are just part of the testing process for that
program, unlike what is expected of teachers in, for example,
Spanish, French or Vietnamese.

Other San Fernando Valley schools also offer Armenian.

“We think it’s great. The more languages we can offer the better,”
said Greg Franklin, assistant superintendent at GUSD. “So Armenian
just serves one more set of kids who have a specific interest in that
language.”

GUSD has 3,904 English-language learners who speak primarily
Armenian, making up about half of its total English-learner
population.