Bilingual Education in the US - Research Paper Example

Bilingual Education The debate surrounding bilingual education for immigrants in the US is abound with theoretical arguments and practical claims as to just how useful it is. Indeed, just as many support the use of bilingual education as oppose it, and the debate rages on despite recent changes. Indeed, it could be said that a schooling system which produces children with bilingual abilities both increases their chances of a brighter future and accentuates the advantages, if not the importance of being bilingual. It could also be said to incorporate two very important aspects tied in with immigration in the US: the recognizing of the child’s native language and thus culture, whilst incorporating them into American life by teaching them English. It would be difficult to imagine how an immigrant would succeed on any tolerable level in the US without at the very least a workable knowledge of the English language, yet many overlook this important aspect of life in America. This paper seeks to explore the arguments for and against bilingual education in the US, and will fundamentally argue that bilingual education is more detrimental than advantageous to immigrants in the US. The problem faced by those who oppose bilingual education in the US is of a cultural sort; to state that children should only be taught English is to suggest that no respect is attached to their heritage, their native tongue, and in turn their own culture. This is not necessarily so; to prefer the teaching of English in school is not to state that a child should be brought up in a wholly English environment. It cannot be said with certainty that bringing a child up in an English only speaking school will stunt their native cultural influences. It could be argued that the child could receive ample teaching and immersion in their native language through extra-curricular activities, familial influences and religious practice. Thus, the child is then able to receive ample influences from both side of the coin; he is able to learn English to a proper degree whilst receiving his native influence from those around him. This would enable him to integrate into the American culture, whilst retaining the identity of his native culture and thus could benefit from both. It is to be remembered that to oppose bilingual teaching is not to shun the respect one has for immigrant culture altogether – it is more to recognize the importance of learning the culture of the country in which one lives, for the overall benefit of the individual. Rather, the arguments against bilingual education lie much deeper, and there are indeed many problems surrounding the practice, which are slowly emerging as time passes and debate thickens. It is no surprise or secret that immigration in the United States has bloomed in recent years, in terms of the number of immigrants coming to the US as well as the variations in cultures which now dwell there. While it is inherently important to maintain one’s native heritage and culture, it is also important to integrate into the community within which one resides. Immigrant cultures in America tend to group together, and thus the need to learn English is seen as unnecessary within this social grouping, which ‘slow[s] up the workings of the so-called melting pot’ (Duignan 2008, p.1). It does not need a great deal of common sense to state that the best way in which America has functioned, and can function is through the integration of cultural groups, lest the American culture itself become lost amongst the secular groups. Thus, it could be said that to teach English in schools as opposed to maintaining bilingual education encourages immigrants from different cultural backgrounds to converse with one another. In other words, it provides a form of ‘common ground’ for so many people of such varied backgrounds – whilst remaining in contact with their own culture, children taught English at school will be able to take on that of the American culture, and in turn will be given many more opportunities in life. It appears as though the need to learn the English language as a part of integrating into American life has been overlooked and certainly underestimated. This could have devastating future effects for the secularization of groups within the US. The issue surrounding future opportunities for immigrants appears to be the main answer to those who claim that English only teaching causes loss of self-esteem in students. Rather, it is strongly suggested that the opposite occurs, whilst other factors serve to negate this argument also. Firstly, it is reported that Hispanic families are the poorest ethnic group in the US, with high dropout rates during schooling (Freiberger 1994). It is likely that children from poor families, who drop out of school and end up in low wage jobs will suffer a lower sense of self-esteem than those who leave school with a good knowledge of a worldly used language. Rather, it is suggested by Freiberger that bilingual education only helps the child’s sense of comfort (1994, p.2), which is not a positive reason for maintaining bilingual education. Statistics also provide some argument against the self-esteem argument; after the banning of bilingual education in California, test scores improved by up to twenty percent for both native and non-native speakers (Gorman 1999). If anything, a child’s self-esteem after seeing their test scores improve is likely to increase; comfort zones are not always as beneficial for the child as some would like to think. It would be very difficult to find reasons as to how a child’s future opportunities would be stunted by English-only lessons. America’s main language is English, and in the ever-tougher world which newly graduated students enter into, they increasingly need all the help they can get. Competition has risen in the employment sector, and along with it increases the need to know the language which is used the most throughout the world. How a child’s self-esteem could be stunted for reasons other than not knowing the English language is rather difficult to understand in the given circumstances. It seems that the reality is very different from the theoretical predictions and common sense statements. Children under the bilingual program spend hours being taught in their mother tongue, with only thirty minute or one hour lessons in English supplementing this. This arguably causes children to become stuck in a rut and such programs become ‘a pink-slip, minimum-wage, welfare straitjacket for the child living in the barrio’ (Freiberger 1994, p.1). Is this really desirable? How could the parents of such children possibly favor these results? The situation seems apparent; those who are taught in bilingual programs are taught very little English, and thus grow up to become segregated by their lack of English. This in turn serves to prevent their future opportunities from flourishing, and they become extremely limited in the options they have for a future career. It is difficult to understand how an immigrant would not be interested to become incorporated in the country within which they live. If it is not the child or the parent who desires particularly the bilingual education, then who is pushing this practice? Although this will be explored below it is important to understand the gravity of the US government’s responsibility to aid rather than stunt integration as much as possible. So why is bilingual education still widely in practice in the US today? Some would suggest that it is government funding which continues its practice, and has done for such a long time. Indeed, it appears to be the case that the school system benefits greatly from utilizing bilingual education programs. Government funding can give up to $500 for each child enrolled in a bilingual education program (Freiberger 1994) – could it be so that such schools favor their pockets over the future of their pupils? The same could be said for teachers who receive bonuses for teaching within bilingual programs. If the situation can be reduced to that of dollars, then it appears a dire situation indeed. It appears that children are pressured into enrolling in bilingual education programs, and that ‘schools are annually penalized for each child who becomes fluent in English’ (Unz 2003, p.2). So is the situation really about taking into account difficulties immigrants may find if immersed into English speaking lessons, or is it the money that attracts schools to adopt the bilingual education program? Whatever the reason may be, it is clear that the disadvantages of bilingual education outweigh the advantages. It seems also that the bilingual education program is not being used as it may have been intended – as a ‘stop-over’ course to incorporate non-English speaking immigrants into the American culture. Children who begin bilingual classes rarely proceed to English-only lessons, and the amount of English they are taught in the former does very little to maximise, or even increase their ability to learn or their knowledge of the English language. Yet, could it not be said that the fact that parents allow their children to enrol in bilingual classes means that they prefer this system of education? Apparently, this is not the case – polls seem to highlight the general public’s favoring of English only education: a massive 77% in fact favor it as opposed to the 19% who vote in favor of bilingual education (Gorman 1999). Even non-native children who are born in the US cannot speak the English they should, simply because they are not getting the lessons required. Parents are obviously troubled by this, and the support shown for the Proposition 227 which eliminates bilingual education in Californian classes goes some way in expressing this concern. It would be odd to think that parents would prefer their children grow up to speak very little English in a country whose main language is indeed English. It thus seems that the monetary factor plays a large role in deciding what number of children is enrolled into the program – a highly questionable reason to stunt children’s incorporation into a country. Not only is it detrimental to the children themselves, it also does not help the functioning of the US, which is becoming a country of sectors determined by nationality. How children are expected to cope in a mostly-English environment once they leave school is cause for concern. This is not to ridicule the ever-increasing practice in which immigrants bring with them their culture, but to learn and be able to interact in the American culture surrounding them can hardly be detrimental. To ban – or to make voluntary – bilingual education is not to shun the native culture of these immigrants; it is more to accentuate the importance of integration as well as aiding it through the more rigorous teaching of the English language. So what is the alternative? Criticism of the bilingual education system should be met with some suggestions for alternative methods. It seems that the Bilingual Act 1968 was not so far off the mark in requiring that children move to all-English speaking classes as soon as possible. There is some strength to be shown in the practice of slow integration, particularly for children who have no knowledge of the English language. To begin such children in bilingual educational classes – if aimed at gradually switching them over to the English language – can prevent the loss self-esteem argument. It is one thing to express pride in cultural heritage, another to stunt the education and future of a child in favor of this pride. In addition, pride can also be borne of be able to learn the culture of two different heritages; to be able to speak two languages fluently can bring a world of opportunities to one’s door. So the proposal could be that bilingual classes be used as they were originally intended – to provide a stop-over course for those who speak no, or little, English. Such classes would employ the teaching of English for short periods of time, and gradually increase the hours spent learning the English language in preparation for English-only classes. Once the child has reached the average knowledge of language for a child in their grade, bilingual classes can be retaken, but provided they maintain their knowledge and improvement of the English language. This would allow a form of side-by-side learning process, wherein the focus and accentuation is placed firstly on bringing the child ‘up to speed’ with the knowledge of English they should know at their age. In this method neither the native heritage of the child’s background, nor the fundamental importance of learning English is overlooked or sacrificed in favor of the other. It is becoming increasingly important to understand the vitality of both elements in the US today. An alternative option could be to make bilingual education voluntary, and dependent on certain factors. It should be made more difficult to receive bilingual education, rather than difficult to get English-only education. Children who reach a certain level of knowledge of the English language should be given the ability to choose whether they have bilingual education, but only once they have reached a satisfactory level of knowledge of the English language. This is along the lines of former President Bush’s ‘English-Plus’ proposal, that students be allowed to take bilingual lessons provided their English scores progress accordingly. This does not seem like such a bad form of application of the bilingual system of education. Indeed, it would seem rather drastic to ban its use completely; rather to alter its application would be more suitable in limiting when and to what degree it is employed. Thus, it has been suggested with some degree of evidence and research that bilingual education in the US is not as beneficial as some would consider. Its positive results are certainly outweighed by the negative effects it has on a child’s life, in terms of future prospects as well as level of integration into society. Perhaps we should look at the situation one a much clearer, simpler basis and apply the suggestions aforementioned. Whilst bilingual knowledge within a child is a definite advantage, it loses this attractive advantage if it results that the child’s knowledge of English is less than that of its native tongue. However, before any major changes take place, perhaps the call for more research and polls should be conducted; especially for the children receiving the education. Once it we have a strong database of statistics and research, the changes made to the bilingual educational system can be made more beneficial to all, and a middle-ground could be found for both those who fight for, as well as those who fight against bilingual education. References Duignan, Peter. 2008. Bilingual Education is Detrimental to Everyone. Bilingual Education, ed. Ginn, Janel D. Detroit: Greenhaven Press. Frieberger, Jack. 1994. Bilingualgate. Commonwealth v121 n.7 Gorman, Siobhan. 1994. California’s Language Wars. National Journal 31.31. National Journal group Inc. Unz, Ron K. 2003. English-Only Education Should be Standard in Most Schools. Bilingual Education, ed. Medina loreta. San Diego: Greenhaven Press. Rossell, Christine H. 2003. The Near-End of Bilingual. Education Next 3.4. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Centre. Gale: Stony Brook University Libraries. Guadalupe, San Miguel Jr. 2004. Contested Policy: The Rise and Fall of Federal Bilingual Education in the United States, 1960-2001. Denton, TX: University of North Texas Press. Potowski, Kim. 2007. Language and Identity in a Dual Immersion School. Buffalo, NY: Multilingual Matters Limited. Read More