Following on the heels of the California law that was signed on October 8, 2011 by Governor Jerry Brown that created the “State Seal of Biliteracy” which honors high school seniors proficient in English and one or more languages, New York State Assemblywoman Carmen E. Arroyo introduced legislation in May 2012 to create a similar certification for New York State high school graduates. This bill would establish the State Seal of Biliteracy to recognize high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading and writing in one or more languages in addition to English. The bill cites many reasons for why this certification should be pursued, including that biliteracy contributes to a pupil’s cognitive development and to our national economy and security. The demand for individuals to be fluent in more than one language is increasing throughout the US, promoting linguistic proficiency and cultural literacy.
The bill proposed by Carmen Arroyo is designed to encourage pupils to study languages other than English, provide employers with a method of identifying people with language and biliteracy skills, offer universities a way to recognize and give academic credit to applicants seeking admission and to prepare pupils for the new challenges of 21st century life.
Sinergia enthusiastically supports the biliteracy bill and calls upon parents to support this iniaitive by contacting the New York State Legislature. Ms. Arroyo’s New York City Office is located at 384 East 149 Street, Suite 30, Bronx, NY 10455. Her telephone number is 718-292-2901. You can also contact your assemblyperson by visiting the website http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/ and entering your zip code.
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