<p>I read somewhere that a combination of the non-English first language and a high English portion of the SAT score is viewed very favorably by some colleges as an indication of your ability to learn. Also, it is very possible to be born in the US and have a different first language and don’t even start learning English until pre-K. I know multiple examples.</p>
<p>My own two Ds, born and raised in this country, started to speak English when they went to pre-K despite the TV programs and cartoons they were watching. We speak our native language at home. My H and I are quite fluent in English, both of us have professional level jobs that require extensive oral and written communication, but at home we speak mostly our native language. Our kids are bilingual, they can speak, read and write both languages, but are more comfortable and more literate using English. They are also speak exclusively non-English with their grandparents.</p>
<p>My older D used to complain that she doesn’t need her native language until she went to HS, where this language was not offered (she took it in her middle school), and she had to start studying Spanish instead. HUGE difference, and she HATED it.</p>
<p>Now she is at U, and despite the fact that she has passed two foreign language Regents exams (her native language and Spanish) and does not have FL requirements for her degree, she is taking reading and writing classed in her first language. I guess she realized that it is useful.</p>