Speaking in Tongues

SPEAKING IN TONGUES explores the provocative notion that bilingualism is a national asset as well as a personal one. The directors follow four kids who eagerly attend public bilingual schools in the San Francisco Unified School District. Durrell Laury is a 2nd grader who reads and writes English and Mandarin. His middle-class black family sees only advantages for him at the Chinese school. Kelly Wong is a 7th grader who reads and writes Cantonese and Mandarin. Her parents speak only English, so Kelly has her own private time with her Chinese grandma. Jason Patino, his eye on Berkeley, tests above grade level in middle school English and Spanish. His working-class dad is bursting with pride. Julian Enis is a high school sophomore who hopes to use his fluent Mandarin as an aerospace engineer. What do we need to know as a nation in the 21st century? SPEAKING IN TONGUES asserts that, if American children are to shine in a global society, the time for them to learn languages is now. And what's more, these kids are having a blast, dang it. (In English, Spanish, and Chinese with subtitles) – B.B.