Bilingual Education1 Essay Example For Students

Bilingual Education1 Essay The controversial debate over English immersion and bilingual education programs has effects in almost every school system. Advocates of bilingual education believe that it is necessary for children to be instructed in their native tongue and gradually be introduced to English or else they may fall behind in school. Supporters of English immersion say that bilingual education programs hinder the learning process of the English language, thus retarding the learning potential of a child. English immersion supports the sink or swim idea of immersing a limited English proficiency (LEP) child in an almost completely English-speaking environment. English immersion supporters then rely on the idea that LEP children will swim after being thrown into such a situation, and eventually catch up to the rest of their classmates. Are bilingual education programs a hindrance to learning English? If they are, should programs where children are forced to learn English through almost complete immersion be used in place of bilingual education programs? To answer these questions correctly, a full understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of both programs is required. It is important to first understand the techniques and goals of the bilingual education program before deciding if the program is harmful to a students potential to learn English. The creators of bilingual education strongly believe in the idea that teaching technical subjects, such as math and science, in English can be harmful to a childs development in that subject. The goal of bilingual education is to teach children mathematical and scientific concepts in a childs native language while teaching him or her conversational English on the side. Several noted scholars support this technique and feel that students learning the English language should be taught all academic subjects in their native language for no fewer than five, and preferably seven, years (The Changing Face of Bilingual Education). The knowledge and skills that are acquired after five to seven years of instruction in a students primary language will transfer to the his or her English speaking ability (Research Agend a for Adult ESL). The same scholars also believe that such academic instruction in the students native language is necessary for students to benefit from typical classrooms (The Changing Face of Bilingual Education). Like most contemporary models of bilingual education, children will gain competency needed to survive in a normal classroom. Supporters of English immersion programs feel that an approach where children spent a great deal of their academic time using English would bring a child closer to proficiency at a more rapid pace than a bilingual education program. English immersion supporters think that the best way to become comfortable with a language is to use it as much as possible. Supporters say that the only times that a child not proficient in English should be spoken to in his or her native language would be to clarify a point, to help a child to complete a task, or to answer a question (The Changing Face of Bilingual Education). After approximately a year in English im mersion programs children should be fluent enough to enter into regular classrooms (Put a Stop to Bilingual Education? Manana). Unlike bilingual education, the creators of English immersion believe that English instruction in an academic class, even a technical one, will benefit a child that is in the process of learning English, because the terms used in technical classes will almost always be new to both proficient and non proficient children. While evaluating both programs it is important to remember that some problems that cannot be solved by immersion or bilingual education. One such problem is finding the perfect age to start teaching the English language to a person. Some scholars have argued that at an early age it is easier for a child to learn a new language through immersion because the child has not fully developed his or her native language. These same scholars have agreed that for older people who have substantially developed their native language, a bilingual educatio n program would be more beneficial. Both immersion and bilingual education programs argue that their program is the best way to teach any child at any age. In actuallity, both groups are right and both are wrong. Biology in Daphnia EssayBilingual education and English immersion programs both have strengths over the other. Bilingual education uses native language insruction to make a familiar and comfortable learning environment for an LEP student. The student is also able to confidently communicate in his or her native language instead of having to struggle with words he or she has most likely never used before. communication in a native language increases the students self esteem and confidence. English immersion helps a student to learn the English language at a faster pace than bilingual education. The student will then have a higher familiarization with the English language that will lead to a higher level of communication and competency. It is usually quite simple to determine which program will suit the needs of an individual student. The challenge is to determine which program will benefit the majority of LEP students. Even after millions of dollars in research, the question of which program is best for the children is still unanswered. Bibliography:Works CitedBurt, Mariam. Research Agenda For Adult ESL. Center For Applied Linguistics 14 Sept. 1998. http://www.cal.org/ncle/agenda/index.htm. 5 Sept. 1999. Chavez, Linda. Being an American is a Privilege. USA Today Magazine April 1999: 1. Daschle, Thomas. Johnson, Daschle Announce Grant For Batesland Schools Bilingual Education Program. FDCH Press Release 17 May 1999. Gersten, Russell. The Changing Face of Bilingual Education. Educational Leadership April 1999: 41. Maceri, Domenico. Bilingual Education Goes Beyond Teaching Language. The Houston Chronicle 20 May 1998: A29. McCann, Jeanne. Bilingual Education. Education Week On The Web 16 Aug. 1999. http://www.edweek.org/context/topics/biling.htm. 5 Sept. 1999. Thomas, Wayne. Accelerated Schooling for English Language Learners. Educational Leadership April 1999: 46. Wildavsky, Ben. Put a Stop to Bilingual Education? Manana. U.S. News and Report 5 Apr. 1999: 41.