Bilingual Education by Korean Students - Essay Example

Introduction Nowadays, there are so many Korean spending their vacations or part of their school year in English native-speaking countries. These individuals spend thousands of money living or studying in countries other than their own to better their English communication skills. Supposedly, wanting to be more competitive in the business world, Korean universities and companies require adeptness in the English language to get accepted. Unfortunately for the Korean nationals, every lesson from elementary to tertiary education even the English subject is taught in the national language, Hangeul. This kind of situation is not new. There are countries who continue to believe that education should be conducted in the local vernacular. They say that it is not good for the young ones to learn in a language other than their own because it might cause them to forget their native tongue. However, as the demands of society continue to make people and companies more aggressive there is a need for an adjustment in the educational system in order for skills to be sufficient for those demands. Thesis Statement In the traditional curriculum, education has always been conducted in the native language. However, as more and more nations interact with each other in trade and commerce, schools have opted to teach in an additional language, most commonly English, to further enhance the students’ communication skills. This is called bilingual education. “Bilingual education is a form of education in which information is presented to the students in two (or more) languages.” (Bilingual Education) Bilingual education is good to use in the curriculum in elementary schools because it helps them to prepare for viable employment, communicating with others, and educational success. Narration Language is a very important part of one’s individuality. At times, it is the mother tongue which distinguishes one nationality from another. Because of this, the introduction of bilingual education has come to face opposition. Throughout the world, however, there is still an obvious need to promote and practice bilingual education for the benefit of the younger generation. As some countries continue to practice teaching in the mother tongue, families go through many sacrifices in order to catch up with the fast-moving world. A typical scenario would be children being forced to study another language as hard as they could so as to be more efficient communication-wise. All this studying, though, sets aside the child’s right to a normal and fun childhood. Korean students leaving their friends and family to study, mainly, English abroad for English can be as young as a 6 years of age. In 1998, the number of elementary students continued to increase until 2006 and declined only at the advent of online classes and the like. (Number) Even if studying in the mother tongue is sometimes ideal, it may not help the learner achieve his future goals. In China, Mandarin-as-second-language classes were provided in ethnic-minority schools in the early years of elementary school when possible. (Minglang Zhou, Hongkai Sun, 119) Sadly, assessment materials manifest a lack of competency, specifically in English, when these students’ skills are tested. The introduction of bilingual education varies in different countries. In the United States, for example, it started in 1968, at a time when the Civil Rights movement for African Americans was at its peak. (Porter). In Malaysia and Thailand, core subjects were taught in the mother tongue and a second language as early as the mid-1990’s. Still, despite the idea that bilingual education would help improve the lives of non-native speaking learners, it has been met with much opposition. Proof It has been said that English is the universal language. It is the medium where several nationalities can strike a balance in communication. It is no wonder therefore that some companies in non-native English speaking countries choose to employ applicants who can speak both English and the native dialect. These soon-to-be employees would be an asset whenever there is a need to communicate in English. This is an apparent reason why bilingual education should be enforced and why it would be beneficial not only for the individual but also for society. Indeed, one can choose to study another language at any time of his life. Research has shown, though, that “children do better in terms of ultimate attainment.” (Dekeyser, 335) This is why bilingual education is encouraged at an early level, that is, elementary. Refutation Opponents of bilingual education state that this kind of system does little in improving the quality of learning of students. In America, for example, non-native speakers in bilingual classes still get low scores on test and do poorly in other assessment materials. (Cromwell) In the Philippines, graduates with bilingual education still have a difficult time getting employment. They also still lack the confidence to communicate with native speakers despite their bilingual education. Conclusion Although there is a need to respect and promote all aspects of one’s culture, this need should work hand in hand in developing a society. Sometimes this development entails opening one’s mind to changes that would eventually prove to be beneficial. A good example of this is in education. As a learner, it is more effective if change starts at an early age as the mind and body are still pliable. Thus, if bilingual education is adopted, it will yield better results when implemented at the elementary level. Indeed, there might still be adjustments needed in order to make bilingual education a more effective avenue of learning for children. Nevertheless, in a world where there is continual advancement, bilingual education can be a solution to equipping children with much needed skills in surviving the new future. Work Cited “Bilingual Education.” University of Michigan. n.d. Web. 25 November 2011. Cromwell, S., “The Bilingual Education Debate: Part 1.” EducationWorld. 1998. Web. 26 November 2011 DeKeyser, R., “Implicit and Explicit Learning.” The handbook of second language acquisition. Ed. Catherine Doughty, Michael H. Long. Massachusetts, USA: Blackwell Publishing, 2003. 313-348. Print. “Number of Young Students Going Abroad Declines Slightly.” Fullbright U.S. Education Center. 6 November 2009. Web. 25 November 2011. Minglang Zhou, Hongkai Sun. Language Policy in the People’s Republic of China: Theory and Practice since 1948. Massachusetts, USA: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2004. Print. Porter, R. “Twisted Tongues: The failure of bilingual education.” www.gwu.edu. 1998. Web. 25 November 2011. Read More