Should All School Information be Bilingual - Assignment Example

This smaller population might feel slighted if the same information automatically available in Spanish is not available in their languages. Then there are places such as San Francisco. Would it not be a waste to have educational materials in Spanish? This question then poses a deeper more subtle question. Should the United States have English as an official language and Spanish as the official second language? This is an unpleasant subject where lines are deeply divided. Some argue by having a National language, public education will be more effective and it will encourage aggressive English competence.

This is not supported by any evidence. Statistics, in fact, confirm the opposite if students are taught in ELL classes and sheltered English Immersion; they have more self-respect, higher graduation rates, and a better standard of living, which ultimately benefits the United States. Personally, I feel the U.S. should have two languages, and that Spanish should be the second language. I feel that every student should be taught Spanish beginning in kindergarten. This will not solve the problem for the smaller diverse population nor will it solve the issues of cities such as San Francisco, but the Hispanic culture has long a stalwart presence in the United States and it is about time they were recognized for the significant contributions they have made.

Supporters of bilingualism argue if there are other languages, there would be greater equal rights, social justice, and understanding of diversity. This would carry on the traditions which our forefathers intended our country to be; a place where people go for refuge and a better life. The argument against schools having information placed in another language is often heard with statements such as this, "If they are in our country they should learn our language, customs, traditions, idiomatic terms, and non-verbal communication.

This way we all share a common ground. We should not have to speak another language to reach out to them. They should try to accommodate themselves to their new environment and that is living in the United States of America." This argument gains support with anti-bilingual activists, especially when they go into schools and everything is in Spanish. There must be a happy medium, and with that middle ground we will offend many, but the rewards will be great. So to answer the question, should things be bilingual, the answer is yes because there must be room for exceptions.