Florida’s English-only driving test a challenge for Spanish Speakers : NPR
Johannes González, an instructor at Speedway Driving School in Hialeah, Florida, teaches Spanish-speaking students to memorize key words in order to pass the state’s new English-only driving exam. David Ovalle/NPR hide caption toggle caption David Ovalle/NPR HIALEAH, FLORIDA – Construction worker Alex López, a native of Guatemala, gets by on job sites with broken English. He knows the tools and how to follow instructions from his boss. “My inglés no es muy malo,” said López, 41. My English isn’t too bad. But López hasn’t mastered enough of the language to earn the right to legally drive in Florida. He recently bombed a 50-question multiple choice driver’s exam administered in English. “After they gave me instructions and taught me how to use the computer program, I froze,” López said in Spanish as he studied at Speedway Driving School in Hialeah. “I felt sick.” Florida long allowed drivers like López to take written tests in Spanish. Now in line with President Trump’s hardline stance on immigration, Republican-led Florida in February began requiring written and oral tests for …
