The Introduction Of Billingual Education In Educational Institutions Around America - Essay Example

THE INTRODUCTION OF BILLINGUAL EDUCATION IN EDUCATIONAL S AROUND AMERICA INTRODUCTION Living in a world on the move, it may well turn out that tomorrow the next-door neighbors of a certain family will be persons who speak what to them is a foreign tongue. For political, economic and social reasons, as well as to further their education, people are relocating themselves in all parts of the globe. Perhaps there is already a foreign-speaking population where you live. Truly, East, West, North and South are meeting as never before. So if the children come running home with the exciting announcement, "Dad! Mom! We have a new playmate who doesn't even talk the way we do," parents might seriously begin to consider teaching their children to speak another language. Before closing one's mind completely to the prospect, however, consider this fact: Talking to native speakers is one of the best "teachers" there is. As one is acquainted with them, extending hospitality, an individual will also be able to learn something about their language, and this will enable the parents to teach their children. Indeed, in a global brotherhood that the world is involved with today, it is essential for people to at least learn two or more languages that is widely used by people around the world. This is mainly to be able to catch up with the growing need for language experts in the professional world. However, the question is, when should bilingual education begin According to Psychologist Dennis Coon, "the best time of teaching a person how to speak is from the belly of his mother beginning during the pregnancy years" (34). How is this possible It has been learned through research that children, even when they are still inside the uterus could already interact with the world outside. Moreover, as the infant is born, talking to him in straight words without baby talking seriously developed early speaking skills on many growing babies today. (Coon, 36) It is also according to the authorities that the most effective time of teaching a child to speak his language and at least another one is during the first four formative years of the child's life. Hence, it is indeed vital to start as early as first year of the baby's life. A child's first formative years is the highest capacity of a young mind to grasp the lessons being learned. However, some issues need to be addressed when bilingual education is being discussed. Scope of the Problem In many parts of educational development, bilingual education is treated as learning for non-American students. The use of their native language along with the inculcation of English to their vocabulary is the main aim of this program. According to educators, this is more likely an ESL program that would indeed assist foreign nationals living in the American territories to adapt to the society, especially with regards to children who are born in America. This would help the non-Americans to be 'one' with the American community in terms of language. To the educators, this is a way by which America could be able to overcome ethnic differences in the country. However, some language experts say that this is not an easy task for early childhood educators. The fact is that at times, some students come to the American region with a fluency on their native language already and thus may not have so much interest in knowing other languages more. Aside form this, according to some 'English Only' advocates, "bilingualism would only lead to an ethnic line of division between the nationalistic views of the natives of America" (Internet). The Pros of the Issue on Bilingual Education Implementation Many educators are indeed amiable that bilingual education is an essential part of learning especially with children who are of different ethnic society in the United States. Many professional early child education experts consider that through the utilization of bilingualism in the educational systems, children would become more concern and highly, in connection with their environment because of their language. The following are some of the facts that support the said claims of education experts: Children's preparedness in facing the society with confidence lies in their ability to speak their thoughts in a way that their peers would understand them. Hence, for ethnic groups in the United States, learning nbilingual language is necessary for them to be able to get along well with the American society. Bilingual education has been proven to sharpen the minds of the young students. The fact that their thinking ability is still budding, learning languages is one of the best ways to develop a young person's mind through challenging education. Understanding what the world talks about and being able to respond is an essential part of a person's life. This factor of being accepted in the society in a simple way f being understood because of language is a great potential for producing confident individuals in the future. The Cons of the Issue Although the fine part of the programmed education has already been laid, not all educators agree of that the bilingual education program would simply do its purpose. To them, the other side of the issue may bring disaster to the American society. How The details regarding this are as follows: Teaching the ethnic groups on the use of perfect English language may make their groups stronger that they would be able to rebel against the rules of the law at times that these laws would not be amiable to their wants. Since the native language of the ethnic groups of the American Society would be used, it could be noticed that there could be a possibility of the lost nationalistic idea in teaching. Some American students may want to learn other languages that may affect their own personalities. As obviously seen, these reasons of the bilingual education implementation's ineffective effects to the American society may be true, yet at some points exaggerated. It could be observed that by being able to balance the values that bilingual education implies, the said system of teaching young students could as well be beneficial not only for the pupils themselves but also for the whole American community. What Early Childhood Educators Need To Know There are necessary guidelines though that educators need to know when teaching bilingual education to children. The said guidelines are as follows: Bilingual education helps in the mind-development of handicapped children. (Internet) If incase the class that an educator is supposed tot each involves handicapped children, he must be able to recognize that learning bilingual knowledge is vital for their growth and development as a person of 'worth', hence, he should continuously encourage them in learning their lessons well. Teaching bilingual education requires close interaction with the students, especially with those who are having a hard time coping up with the changes. This has to be done for the educator to be assured that the students under his supervision are learning something from his teachings. Quality is more important than quantity exposure to the English Language. A child's ability to speak correctly depends not on the times he is exposed to English speaking people but on the correct teachings of his educators in his class. ESL is taught more efficiently in natural situations. This means that children are forced to use English when they are faced with situations that require them to do so. With these guidelines, Early childhood educators would be equipped with the necessary points of consideration they have to remember during their teaching sessions. Resources for Early Childhood Educators of Bilingual Curriculum To be able to meet the challenges of teaching bilingual education to young students, the government of the United States of America provided necessary resources that are available for teachers to utilize. Aside from these, numerous books are also available for study basis on this issue. As for example, Peter Woods' "Multicultural Children in the Early Years: Creative Teaching, Meaningful Learning" talks about the necessary factors of consideration that educators should remember upon meeting Multicultural Children in their class. Meanwhile, Tony Cline features several effective curriculum for bilingual education, which were used and proven effective by other educators in his book "Curriculum Related Assessment, Cummins and Bilingual Children". Likewise, Angela Carraasquillo's "Teaching the Bilingual Special Education Student", gives guidelines on the teaching methods that could be inculcated in the nature of teaching of the educators to their young students. Finally, Norbert Francis' "Language and Literacy Teaching for Indigenous Education: A Bilingual Approach", helps the educators overcome cultural differences during the entire course of bilingual education instruction processes. By utilizing the said resources, the educators would surely gain the necessary skills that are to be of good use during their teaching sessions with multicultural students. Indeed, teaching is an art. Moreover, the artistic approach of this art is further encouraged in teaching students of the bilingual education. Hence, to be able to gain success from the said aspect of teaching, educators must have the right disposition as well as inspiration and reason for teaching. The fact that they realize that they are able to help ethnic groups in the American regions to fit in the society, should make them see the importance of educating the children with bilingual education. The American society at present has the highest rate of having a multicultural society. The advancement of the economic developments that globalization has opened to the American society has made it possible for people from all sections of the world come towards the so called 'dream land', the American territories. Some are coming in the country for the sake of employment, some for education and some for permanent residential. As a result, the students who are coming from different nations around the world meet a challenge of dealing with the difficulty of living and getting used to a the living that is accustomed for the foreign land that they ought to fit into. In this paper, a comprehensive set of lessons shall be discussed that would be directly applicable to any subject in general. The applicability of the said lessons is attested by the fact that in dealing with multicultural classes, there is a certain need of having a variety of approaches as to how the subjects are presented. Importance of the Lessons The lessons to be referred in this paper would mainly be focused on the ideal purpose of educating the students through the best possible way there is. Aside from this, it could be observed through the enlisted lessons herein that enjoyment while learning is one of the primary targets of the learning procedure that is strongly suggested by the author. Hence, through this the thinking abilities as well as the social connection of foreign students to the current society that they are living in would be more enhanced, thus making them more reliable and independent in terms of socialization amidst the cultural differences that they posses. Key Factors in Implementing the Lessons The arrangement of the lessons listed herein is to be subdivided into three parts, whereas each lesson is to be applied within the three divisions of the school year which the educator could decide upon. First will be on the introduction of the year, then the next would be on the mid-year of school days, then the third lesson could be applied before the school year ends. Since the lessons are designed to remind the students of the importance, the advantages and the disadvantages of the cultural differences that the students have throughout the year, it would be helpful to consider several factors that could be helpful in the implementation of the lessons. The said factors are as follows: Always be enthusiastic in opening the conversation that is needed before any lesson and activities should start. The lessons are accompanied by several activities that the students must complete while in the process of learning. It should then occur to the teacher or instructor of the class that every time the suggested lesson is to be presented to class, the enthusiasm that is seen in him must be present to be able to serve as an invitation to the students to participate in the activities. (Ariza, internet) Stay Motivated and listen to what the students have to say about the topic Most of the lessons encourage student participation. It could be verbal or physical acts that could be required from the students to do. This is the reason why listening to what they have to say regarding the lessons, maybe how or what they feel about it is an essential part in making the lessons work for the class. Create an environment that is open for opinions between the students One of the primary reasons behind the implementation of the suggested lessons I this paper is to encourage respect within the class of multicultural students and at least lessen the effect of discrimination between them. (Nieto, Internet)To be able to meet the said goal, it is then essential that the environment of the class [discussion environment that is] should be welcoming opinions from students of different cultures (Fish, internet). The opinions may pertain to what they question about the customs of other races and in reply, how they would defend themselves from the common accusations that may have caused discrimination of other people against their race. Be prepared to answer questions of students that are related to culture differences It could not be denied that alongside discussion and activities, there would be some questions that are expected to arise during the implementation of the lessons. It must be noted that the lessons are designed to sparkle the interest of the students with regards their classmate's racial groups. Hence, when deep questions are asked regarding the lessons and the opinionated comments of the students, the teacher or instructor must be always ready in arranging any possible queries that are hard to answer for the students alone. Yes, preparation is necessary. With the primary factors of consideration listed herein, it could be noted that there are several responsibilities the instructor should take in applying the lessons. It should be noted that the interest upon the lesson should primarily come from the educators thus helping the students get the gist of the lesson, and why they should be implied in class. In the section that follows, the lesson suggestions shall be discussed in three parts. The lesson, the application method and the supposed result from the class discussion and activities shall all be made mention. Lesson 1: Introduction of Cultural Differences as presented by the students Lesson Implementation Expected Results A. The teacher This lesson shall be implemented during the introductory part of the school year [usually, this takes place during the first week of the class]. The instructor would ask the students of their names and the countries that they came from. After which, they would be asked to perform an activity pertaining to their culture. The teacher is expected to gain knowledge on who among his or her students came from certain parts of the world. By knowing so, the teacher is expected to make necessary adjustments on the lessons that would be taught to the students taking into consideration their cultural customs and traditions. This could help the teacher perform her task of educating the students in a manner that their culture is respected well. B. Students The class would be divided into groups whereas they would be joined with their classmates who belong to the same race as they do. Then they would pass a written work that shows their cultural origin and customs. Later on, after the written project is noted, the students shall do a class presentation of the information. The students are expected to develop respect for their peers as they learn about their roots of origin. It is expected that by knowing the roots of their classmates, they would learn to appreciate the presence of each other in the said 'international class'. In this suggested lesson, it is proposed that the teacher would encourage the students to interact with their classmates who belong to their own race, to be able to have a sense of belongingness. It has been notes that students who are able to connect with other students who belong to the same race gain more confidence than with those others who do not. On the other hand, the lesson also encourages everyone else, including the educator to view other students from other cultures with respect and appreciation. Knowing their customs and the traditions of their culture would help the entire class understand the social difference that they have from each other. (Ariza, internet) Lesson 2: Songs From Around the World Lesson Implementation Expected Results A. The teacher The teacher is supposed to ask the students to group with their classmates, some of which did not come form their original groups from the first lesson. Once the groups are formed, the students would be asked to decide on whose cultural song would be performed by the group in class. Once the groups have made the decision, the songs would be submitted to the teacher for approval to ensure that there are no groups that are the same. The teacher is expected to develop interest to the cultures of the students which will enhance the respect that he or she displays towards everyone in class. B. Students The students are expected to present songs from a foreign race that they would decide together as a group. The songs would naturally be of the local tongue of the race they would decide to present. Hence, it is the responsibility of the one who understands the lyrics to explain to the group mates what the song is all about. The appreciation of the arts and culture of other races shall be expected to be improved in this phase of the lesson suggestions. By being bale to understand the language of others, it is then expected by the instructor that the heightened respect towards everyone would be encouraged well. This lesson is mainly designed to help the students enjoy while they are learning the different artistic values of their classmates who come from different races. By having this lesson implemented in class at around the mid-year schedule of the school year, the students and the teachers are expected to have better knowledge of their peers' racial associations and customs. Hence, the acknowledgement of the diverse characteristic of the class would then be well understood and realized by everyone else in class. Lesson 3: Discussions of "What students learned from each other's culture through the past two activities done by the class" Lesson Implementation Expected Results A. The teacher The instructor shall pilot the beginning of the discussion. The activity in this lesson is based on oral discussion and verbal sharing between the students in the class. The teacher is expected to have been well prepared before the implementation of the application of this lesson. Since he or she already knows several notable characteristics of the races of the students, the educator should be able to answer other questions that are beyond the capability of the students to answer. B. Students The students shall continue the discussions whereas they are going to relate what they have learned about each other's culture. There could be some questions regarding the queries of each other regarding other's races and customs. This shall be the core source of the discussion. The students are expected to gain better knowledge of their classmates as the school year ends. This shall equip them with the right qualities that they need to have when they meet their classmates who are to come form other races as well as the next school year arrives. This lesson shall help the students realize the fact that their classmates come from different cultures. Moreover, although their cultures are different, there are some things that they are the similar with. One thing is that they are all students who have their own aims for the sake of the world's and their own better future. (Beckman-Brito, Internet) It shall also help both the educator and the students to understand the fact that the differences among the numerous nationalities around the world are the ones that makes the world a better place to live at. The variety of the customs and traditions that the world hosts is what makes the entire humanity a notably exceptional creation among all others. These three major lessons that are suggested for actual classroom implementation could be considered as an ice breaker that would help the instructors revitalize the interest of the students especially on subjects that concerns world history, sociology, and other humanities subjects. Recommended Activities for the Teachers or Educators It usually helps that the educators show enthusiasm towards the implementation of the subjects and the lessons as menti0oned earlier. To be able to instill effectiveness upon the lessons suggested herein, there are several extra activities for the teachers that are suggested to be taken into consideration. The said activities are as follows: Usage of audio based teaching aids Some part of the lessons would involve listening and presenting songs infront of the class. Hence, as an introduction to the lesson, it would help if the educator would be able to use audio-based aids that are to present the different songs to the class that would also help in the attraction of the teacher towards the interest of the students. (Fish, Internet) Usage of animation and computer aided materials for teaching In accordance with the advancement of technology, taking advantage of the provisions of the innovations of technology would help in better understanding of the students. Today, animation of the elements of learning would help in the better understanding of the students regarding the lessons especially regarding cultural knowledge. Usage of Visual aids Visual aids could help the students see the visionary value of the lesson. Using materials that would help the students understand the subject through visionary elements would result to better application with the student's comprehension of the entire lesson. With the usage of the aids mentioned herein, the educators could expect that the application of the suggested lessons discussed above would become more effective for the students. The constant integration of the visual aids within lessons that are enlisted herein, the students along with the educators themselves are expected to develop a certain level of respect towards other people who come from other races which they would carry along with until their development towards adulthood. Conclusion and Recommendations This paper directly refers to multiculturalism as an agent of interest among students in a certain class. As per mentioned herein, it could be noted that the lessons that are suggested for implementation in this paper are mainly focused in enhancing the respect that students have towards each other's culture. There have also been other suggestions addressed to the instructors as to how they are supposed to deliver the lessons for better results for the class. Through the usage and application of the suggested aids and attitudes towards the subject or lesson implementation, it could be noted that the technological innovations would be much helpful in creating an environment that would be susceptible for everyone to understand the main reasons of the lesson implication. In an overall view, it could be observed that the entire paper gives a high regard for creating a peaceful environment for learning within a class that is composed of multicultural students. The success of the lessons suggested herein shall not only depend on the educators. Instead, it depends upon the cooperation of the students to work with the instructor's enthusiasm in implying the designed lessons herein. References: Fish, L. Building Blocks: The First Steps of Creating a Multicultural Classroom. 2006. http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/buildingblocks.html. (March 09, 2009) Beckman-brito, L. Classroom Etiquette: A Cross-cultural Study of Classroom Behaviors. http://w3.coh.arizona.edu/AWP/AWP%202003/Beckman.pdf. (March 09, 2009). Eileen Ariza. Coping with Cultures in the Classroom-What every teacher should know. http://www.hiceducation.org/Edu_Proceedings/Eileen%20N.%20Ariza2.pdf. (March 09, 2009). Nieto, S. Affirming (2003). Affirming Diversity: The Sociopolitical Context of Multicultural Education, Fourth Edition. Allyn & Bacon; 4 edition. Maria Estela Brisk. (2005). Bilingual Education: From Compensatory to Quality Schooling. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.; 2nd edition. Colin Baker. (2006). Foundations of Bilingual Education And Bilingualism (Bilingual Education and Bilingualism). Multilingual Matters Limited; 4th edition. Olivia N. Saracho. (2004). Contemporary Perspectives on Language Policy and Literacy Instruction in Early Childhood Education (Contemporary Perspectives in Early Childhood Education). Information Age Publishing. V. Celia Lascarides. (2000). History of Early Childhood Education : A History (Source Books on Education, Volume 55). Routledge; 1 edition. Norbert Francis. (2002). Language and Literacy Teaching for Indigenous Education: A Bilingual Approach (Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 37). Multilingual Matters Limited. Issues in US Language Policy. (1998). Bilingual Education. http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/JWCRAWFORD/biling.htm. (March 9, 2009). Read More