The Official Language Movement - Research Paper Example

Analyzing the history of the United States, one can find that multilingual communities have managed to survive side by side. In its initial stage, many of them have considered Official Language Movement as a way to block bilingual education programs. But through the declaration of Official Language Act in 2001, the Bilingual Education Act was replaced (Schaefer, 2006, p. 244). Immigrants from, Mexico, Spain, Germany, Ireland and many African nations have entered the United States and became a part of its social, political and constitutional practices.

Bilingualism and multilingualism preserve the requirements of various immigrant communities. In the United States, bilingual or multilingual education is generally considered as a supporting program for children with limited English proficiency. Recent studies prove that 73 percentages of Hispanic population favor school districts offering various bilingual education programs compared to 53 percent of non Hispanic population. Hispanic groups in the United States explore their cultural interest through their support in bilingualism in mainstream education (Schaefer, 2006, p. 243). Experts have revealed different opinions about the effectiveness of bilingual or multilingual education. . Hispanic groups raised a new Hispanic American Cultural interest through their active participation in bilingual education programs.

They demand the prevention of high school dropouts and Hispanic paucity in colleges (Schaefer, 2006, p. 243). The web article entitled Bilingual Education: A Goal for All Children observes; “Bilingual education is a prerequisite for establishing a school environment that welcomes all students' cultures, sends a positive message to students, and sets the groundwork for a relationship of respect and equality between schools and all families and communities” (Bilingual Education: A Goal for All Children 2011).

Immigrant community in the United States demands a type of education to meet the needs of their children to shape them for the competitive job markets. Through the implementation of No Children Left Behind Act (NCLB), new programs and researches took place in the field of bilingual education. Studies prove that more than 14 million children who come from households not use English as their first spoken language (.The Importance of Bilingual Education, 2007). I f we fail to give proper education, many will drop-out from schools and many will grow up illiterate.

Here one can feel the relevance of bilingual programs in mainstream education. Lack of experienced teachers and well designed teaching strategies contribute practical obstacles in strengthening bilingual or multilingual program. Many political parties in U.S have acknowledged the growing influence of Hispanic groups in the election process during the last 30 years. At present Federal Law demands bilingual or multilingual ballots in voting (Schaefer, 2006, p. 244). As