Can Native Language Instruction Really Help English Language Learners - Research Proposal Example

Knowledge and Literacy: Can Native Language Instruction Really Help English Language Learners on Their Transition to a Monolingual English-Only Classroom Setting? A Thesis Proposal First Name Last Name University In the 1950s, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) published a study on learning in a second language, concluding that “children educated in their second language (a language acquired in addition to the home language) experienced difficulties in school” (Brisk, 1998, p.1). Furthermore, the study noted that a child learns best when taught in their mother tongue, as it provides a significant connection between home and school environments. The study also noted that using the native language as the medium of a child’s instruction helps facilitate their ability to absorb new knowledge and improve literacy (Brisk, 1998, p.1). A decade after the UNESCO study, the United States government decided – via the groundbreaking Lau vs. Nichols case of 1964 and the Bilingual Education Act of 1968 – that forcing children to learn in an unfamiliar second language such as English constituted a human rights violation (Hirsch and Lays, 1998, p.24). Bilingual education, therefore, was an attempt to level the playing field and provide all children in the public schools in the United States with the opportunity to learn and excel. Soon, public schools throughout the country began implementing various programs of bilingual education in varying degrees and methods. Why then, would the public sector and the educational field soon turn against this popular initiative? In December 1998, California voted against the continuation of bilingual education programs in the state, citing its inability to produce the results it had originally promised. Hirsch and Lays (1998) wrote, “After 20 years of accepting bilingual education as the best way to teach non-English speakers, educators, parents and policy makers started questioning the value of the programs.... Some children stayed in bilingual classes too long. Other kids were not performing well academically. Dropout rates remained high.” (p.24) Despite its lackluster performance, parents and teachers alike are divided as to what best be done for immigrant children whose grasp of rudimentary English is limited at best. The “sink or swim” method is an unlikely substitute, given its negative effects on students who are forced to learn new lessons and a new language at the same time. Adults debate on what new programs can be instituted for young ESL children in order to help them cope with the American public school system that relies singularly on English as the medium of instruction. The search for a new program to assists ESL children has begun. The answer to this problem, however, may not be entirely new. In truth, the issue of bilingual education is confused and confusing, given the reality that few parents (and even educators) understand that there are several forms of bilingual education implemented in the country. Perhaps it is best to focus on the bilingual education program with the highest batting average in terms of assisting young ESL students in their transition to English-centric classrooms. Problem Statement Can Native Language Instruction really help English Language Learners on their transition to a monolingual English-only classroom setting? At the very heart of the bilingual education controversy is its reliability and efficiency in enabling ESL students, now referred to as English Language Learners (ELL), to make to a smooth transition from special native language instruction classes into mainstream classrooms wherein the sole medium of instruction is English. Is there substance to the theory upon which the entire bilingual education program is based? Only by proving so, can there be significant rationale to proceed with the implementation of these programs in public schools throughout the United States. Purpose Statement The question of bilingual education efficiency is often convoluted, mainly because there are several variations of this program implemented in various states. It is therefore imperative that a particular variant be selected specifically for this study, in order to present a more cohesive and specific understanding of the problem at hand. This study focuses on the developmental bilingual education program, which relies mainly on the student’s native language (first language or mother tongue) as the medium of instruction. Considered one of the most successful variations of the bilingual education program (Krashen, 1997), it is anchored on the theory that knowledge (in common subjects, i.e. mathematics, science, etc) and literacy are transferable to other languages. This study intends to prove that there is substantial truth to this theory, and that the developmental bilingual education program is successful and should continue to be implemented. This paper posits that the knowledge and literacy attained through Native Language Instruction is transferable, thus enabling the successful transition of English Language Learners to a monolingual English-only classroom setting. Research Questions In order to complete this study’s objectives, it is necessary that the following sub-questions be considered and answered satisfactorily. Only then can a significant conclusion be presented, to achieve the very purpose statement of this study. 1. Define Native Language Instruction, particularly in light of the Developmental Bilingual Education program; 2. Define the classification “English Language Learner” in relation to the country’s Bilingual Education program; 3. Explain the status quo of Bilingual Education program in the country, most especially its rate of success and failure in terms of assisting ELLs in their transition to monolingual English-only classroom settings; 4. Analyze the success rate of ELLs who transferred from Developmental Bilingual Education programs to monolingual English-only classroom settings, in terms of their ability to cope with the lessons and attain positive academic performance. Hypothesis If ELL students undergo developmental bilingual education programs, then their transition to monolingual English-only classrooms will be successful. Review of Related Literature Since the 1980s, the issue of bilingual education has become one of the most hotly contested and continuously debated topics in the United States. As James Crawford (1998) points out, “Enacted at the apex of the Great Society, the Bilingual Education Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Johnson without a single voice raised in dissent. Americans have spent the past 30 years debating what it was meant to accomplish” (p.50). One of the most common criticisms against bilingual education is that it fails to serve its purpose: easing the transition of ELLs to a monolingual English-only classroom setting. Quoting Professor Kenji Hakuta of Standford University, Hirsch and Lays (1998) wrote, “When strict comparisons are made that control for the background factors, children learn English at the same rate regardless of the kinds of programs they are in” (p.24). This means that regardless of the educational program utilized, ELLs still learn English at the same rate. What then would be the use of continuing with bilingual education programs? Furthermore, critics of bilingual education note that the very theory upon which it is built is faulty. Chavez and Lyons (1996) wrote, “this theory states that ... non-English-proficient children must be taught to read and write in their native language in a five-to seven-year program in which up to 80 percent of their day is spent hearing, speaking, reading and writing their native language. Unfortunately almost no empirical evidence supports this theory,” (p.24). The authors view the use of the theory a rationalization rather than an actual theory (Chavez and Lyons, 1996, p.24). In response to these criticisms, supporters of bilingual education have noted that there is, in fact, empirical evidence to show that the program does help ease the transition of ELLs into English-only classrooms. Stephen Krashen (1997) wrote, “a vast number of other studies have shown that bilingual education is effective, with children in well-designed programs acquiring academic English at least as well and often better than children in all-English programs.” Richard Rothstein (1998) agrees with Krashen's assertions, yet notes that there might be a need to improve bilingual education still, given the fact that prolonged stay in a bilingual education program could inadvertently delay the learning of English for ELLs. Rothstein notes that at present there is no need to panic about the bilingual education programs. He further suggests that “the best thing that could happen to the bilingual education debate would be to remove it from the political realm. Sound-bite pedagogy is no cure for the complex interaction of social, economic, and instructional factors that determine the outcomes of contemporary American schools” (p.672). Methodology Research Design This study is a combination of a qualitative and quantitative study, though it is not experimental. It is more of an evaluative study that intends to identify the extent to which developmental bilingual education may have succeeded in easing the transition of ELL students into monolingual English-only classroom settings Participants This study shall require the participation of thirty eighth grade students of Hispanic descent who completed their stint in the bilingual education program and were transferred to monolingual English-only classrooms. The sample focuses on Hispanic students as majority of students in bilingual education programs are Hispanic, and the study merely wants to retain the real-world significance of this study. The sample size is small due to constraints in the number of students who completed developmental bilingual education in this locale. As such, it is possible that the sample of the study will not have an equal number of males and females. The study will also not require that the samples be from the same bilingual education program or institution. Instruments To gauge whether or not the developmental bilingual education program succeeded in easing the transition of ELL students into monolingual English-only classrooms, this study shall utilize a comprehensive examination on the following subjects: Mathematics, Science and Reading Comprehension. The exam should be on areas covered in the students' grade level, in order to see how their training in bilingual education programs assisted them in their ability to cope with eighth grade lessons. Interviews will also be conducted in order to attain significant first-person insight from the students regarding their experience in bilingual education and how it has affected their transition. Procedures Pre-exam, the students will be asked to fill out a basic questionnaire in order to gain significant information regarding their family background and experience in bilingual education. The examination will consist of three modules: Mathematics, Science and Reading Comprehension. The contents of the test will be based on lessons for eighth grade students. The exam will consist of approximately three hours in total, with one hour for each subject module. A proctor will be assigned to watch over the examinees and enforce the strict time limits. The tests will make use of the multiple choice format. A post-exam interview will then be conducted. Analyses Examination results shall be confirmed by two other re-checkers to ensure accuracy prior to entry into computer records. Taking stock of the students' prior experiences in developmental bilingual education, the data can now be presented in a graphic form (possibly in separate charts for each subject), thereby identifying the effect of the program on the students' ability to cope with eighth grade lessons. References Brisk, Maria Estela (1998). Bilingual Education: From Compensatory to Quality Schooling. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Chavez, Linda and James Lyons (1996). Is Bilingual Education Failing to Help America's Schoolchildren? Insight on the News, 12, 24 Crawford, James (1998). Language Politics in the USA: The Paradox of Bilingual Education. Social Justice, 25, 50 Hirsch, Eric and Julie Lays (1998). Bilingual Education: Si o No? State Legislatures, 24, 24 Krashen, Stephen (1997). Why Bilingual Education? ERICDigests.Org, 3. Retrieved 14 April 2008 from http://www.ericdigests.org/1997-3/bilingual.html Rothstein, Richard (1998). Bilingual Education: The Controversy. 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