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Puerto Rico Language Policy Timeline

By mariposa1

  • begining of the bilingual history

    The American colonization. John Eaton and Victor Clark establish that teachers should learn English. (Bilingual Education of Puerto Rico, chapter 2)

  • The Department of Public Instruction was created.

    Civil Legislature created by the Foraker Act.

  • The educational policy was to conserve Spanish and acquire English, but further on, government emphasize more in North American culture

    This period started at 1900 and ended on 1902.

  • The Official Language Act granted official status for both languages.

  • Theodore Roosevelt's Commisioner of Education re-established English as a medium of instruction.

  • Government send 504 teachers to the United States to study.

  • English language was rising and the plan was to make it official language.

  • By the imposition of the English language, the people revealed themselves and create the Separatist Movement.

  • From the years of 1905 through 1913, the Spanish language was forbidden.

  • Government started to introduce Spanish to some courses.

  • Spanish was reinstated as the medium of instruction for the first four grades.

  • A project was presented to make Spanish the obligated way to teach.

  • United States's teachers were employed on the island to improve English quality.

  • From 1921 to 1930, the Commisioner of Instruction, Juan Huyke, emphasize on the use of English.

  • The new commisioner of Instruction Jose Padin was the first to expose Spanish as the right way of teaching because English was a foreign language.

  • From 1916 to 1934, schools were divided. From first grade through fourth grade courses will be in Spanish. On fifth and sixth grade, courses will be half Spanish half English.

  • English was starting to be seen as asimilation and United States was arguing that the Puerto Ricans havent learn English.

    Jose Gallardo, the new Commisioner of Instruction tried to run the bilingual program, but protests didn't allow it.

  • Spanish prevailed and English was taught as a course through 6th grade.

  • Spanish was used through 9th grade.

  • The Commisioner of Instruction, Dr. Mariano Villaronga decree that Spanish will be used in every level of the public education.

  • United States signed the Bilingual Education Law of Title VII

  • Universities and the Department of Education started to asked for United State funds to attend foreigh students.

  • The Bilingual Education was transfer from "Program" to "Project of the English Deparment.

  • The Department of Education named a Director for the Bilingual Education Program who managed the funds for foreign students.

  • United States government approved the "No Child Left Behind Act" which focuses on the English Language Learners previously known as Bilingual minorities.

  • Puerto Rico's governor started a Bilingual Program on which some courses beside English Language Arts are taught in English.