Puerto Rico Language Policy

By Mirta Matos

  • Puerto Rican teachers learning English

    The Commissioner of the United States Department of Education Dr. John Eaton and his asisttant Dr. Victor Clark determined that Puerto Rican teachers had to learn English in order to teach it.

  • Public Instruction Department was created in P.R.

    Puerto Rico`s Public Department of Instruction was created.

  • Native language as first language and English as a second language

    the elementary level was taught in Enlish. While High school classes were taught in Spanish and English was taught as a second language.

  • No Spanish in P. R. schools.

    All classes were taught in English. Spanish was eliminated.

  • Spanish only

    Spanish was considered as the primary language.

  • Spanish from first to fouth grade

    Spanish was taught from first to fourth grade and from fifth to twelfth half of the classes were taught in English. The other half were taught in Spanish.

  • Teachers from the United States came to P.R.

    Teachers from the United States came to P. R. to teach English as a second language

  • English all time.

    The Commissioner of instruction Juan B. Huyke stated that English was to be use inside and outside the classroom.

  • Dr. Jose Padin stated Spanish as primary language

    Dr. Jose Padin stated that Spanish was the primary language of instruction and English should be taught as a foreign language.

  • Bilingual program

    Jose M. Gallardo tried to implement a bilingual program.

  • Spanish first language, English second language

    Spanish bacame the first language up to sixth grade. English was taught as a second language.

  • Spanish in ninth grade

    Spanish was taught up to ninth grade.

  • Spanish in all school and English second language

    Spanish was taught in all school grades and English was taught as a second language.

  • Bilingual Education Act/ Title VII

    The President Johnson signed the United States Bilingual Education Act or Title VII

  • Federal funds of the Department of Education

    The Department of Education and the universities received federal funds for blilngual programs.

  • Catholic church developed bilingual programs

    Padre Rufo and Pope John XXIII schools developed bilingual project in Puerto Rico.

  • United States provided fundings

    The United States provided fundings to establish bilingual programs.

  • The English department incharge of bilingual program

    The English department was incharge of all bilingual programs.

  • Gov. Rafael Hernandez Colon declared Spanish only

    The law number 4, of April 5th, 1991 was approved. Spanish only.

  • Official language in Puerto Rico

    English as the official language of Puerto Rico`s schools.

  • Gov. Pedro Rosello both languages were official

    The law number 1, Jan. 28th, 1993 proclaimed both Spanish and english as official.

  • Bilingual schools were establish.

    the dual language bilingual program were establish through out the island.

  • Dual language change to Escuelas de Idiomas

    The Department of Education change the dual language project to Escuela de Idiomas project.

  • A new blilngual project

    Under the BEC-21 and ES-21 projects a new biligual project started. English. Math and Science courses are being taught in Enlish.