The matter of speaking English in schools is presently a hot topic in parts of the United States that have large school-age populations of students whose first language is not English. Should students be immersed in English from the moment they enter an American school? Should they attend classes taught in their native languages while learning English until they can comfortably switch to English-only classes? Advocates of either view may imagine they find support for their views in "American Girls," even though the story does not specifically address the issues involved. Placing Tere in English-only classes may be helping to draw the shy, depressed Tere out of her isolation and into the wider world of her community. When she speaks Spanish with a friend though, she seems to be shutting out her English speaking classmates, isolating her from this community. On the other hand, constant humiliation...