...bilingualism means an equal ability to communicate in two languages. For others, bilingualism means the ability to communicate in two languages but with the possibility of greater skills in one language. There is a lot of criteria that goes along with bilingualism. For this research paper, the criteria I focused on were: The history of bilingualism laws in the United States, pros/cons of bilingual education in America’s school system, who benefits the most from bilingual education programs; youths in elementary or the youths in high school, bilingualism in the labor market, and bilingualism in the media. In the society that we live in today, Bilingualism has become just as it is important to learn as to learn the language from the country of a person’s ethnical background. Bilingualism has come a far way in the last 20 years to where it is today. Whether we notice it or not bilingualism plays a part in every person’s day to day life. Bilingualism is highly researchable subject is given a lot of political, as well as ethical attention. Twenty years ago in the school system bilingual education programs were almost never heard of much in elementary schools for English speaking students to have to learn another language. Most often the kids who didn’t t know English well would leave the Reed 2 classroom and go to another classroom for language programs such as E.S.L for example. What is the ESL program and does ESL even exists in the American School System today? ESL is a program...
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...Bilingual language is beneficial for the child’s first language and English development “Language constitutes us, it gives us meaning and allows us to make meaning, and it develops and abolishes spaces.” (Benjamin, 2002). Critiques of bilingual education continually claim that children can only learn one language at a time after which they are taught a second language (Krashen, 2000). They assert that bilingual education cause confusion among children and limit their intelligence capabilities; they argue that real bilinguals cannot combine their language. Advocates of bilingual education present arguments on its benefits, they suggest that, for many children the process of being literate and studying a new language simultaneously is overwhelming and that the bilingual process assist them to develop their native language first which results to a smooth transition to English. The main aim of the bilingual program was to promote the prominent language to issue instructions and at the same time enhance the development of the second language. Some define it in aspects of its capability to enhance cognitive and effective development while others view that it should focus on cultural enrichment and linguistic development. However, in some bilingual programs, instructions are issued through the use of the second language especially in cases where the first language erodes over time. (Baez, 2002) As the child proficiency in English increases he or she loses grasp of the native language...
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...Policy Carmen DeLeon TSOL 500 Foundations of Bilingual Education Nova Southeastern University September 9, 2012 In an article entitled Ten Common Fallacies about Bilingual Education, James Crawford discusses ten common misbeliefs held by many in regard to bilingual education in the United States. Despite the number of English Language Learners (ELLs) who live in the United States, there is still a great lack of interest and concern regarding the education that they receive. Crawford has done an excellent job outlining some of the more common misunderstandings that surround the education of ELLs. The first fallacy that Crawford addresses is the misbelief that the English language is slowly being overtaken by other languages. While it is true that other languages have proliferated the culture in the United States, English has remained strong. Crawford cites several examples throughout history where English has appeared to be compromised by other languages. By 1900, there were at least 600,000 elementary school students, about 4% of the US total, receiving part or all of their instruction in German (Kloss, 1998 as cited in Crawford, 1997). He also points out in his article Legislating Language, Mandating Inequality, that "in 1890, the proportion of non-English speakers was 4.5 times as great as in 1990”. (Crawford, 1996). So, this is not a new issue. Speakers of other languages have been migrating to and settling in the US for the duration of its existence. With the increasing...
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...California is the state where the major part of its population is Hispanic. Thus, Spanish and English live side by side there. The first glimpse of what resembled a Bilingual education in California was with the Mexican-Americans. I will use the different projects Californian educational system created to help Mexican-Americans. I will also use a Master's thesis entitled “Bilingual Education in California” by T. Lesley to explain the history of Bilingual education in California. This thesis is very interesting because the author talks about the origins of Bilingual education in California and also how the Bilingual education is a very complex system. What I want to demonstrate is that the Californian legislation was concerned with the issue of Bilingual education but despite that, Bilingual educational system has failed in 1998 with the Proposition 227. The fail of Bilingual education in a state like California leads other states to question the efficiency of Bilingual education. I will see reasons that led people, both non-Hispanics and Hispanics, to vote the Proposition 227. The purpose of the Proposition is to instaure a monolingual teaching, that-is-to-say only English language would be used in teaching. It also proposes immersion programs. I will compare Bilingual programs with immersion programs. What is surprising is that Latino people are in favor of the Proposition 227 and to understand why, I will study the interviews of some Latino people....
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...Bilingual Education : Friend or Foe? Jennifer Smith Faulkner University Abstract This paper explores both the history of bilingual education as well as it’s implications for American Society. We will define the difference between bilingual education and bilingualism. It takes a formative look at the Bilingual Education Act to see our roots in bilingual education. We will examine both the advantages and disadvantages of bilingualism and it’s effect on the brain. Also, we will attempt to shed some needed light on just why this is such a hot political topic. Why do Americans still seem unwilling to accept bilingual education as a necessity for their children? Bilingual Education: Friend or Foe? Bilingual education is a polarizing topic in America. Torn between preserving American culture and what makes us American, and providing immigrant children with the same access to education that all Americans deserve, bilingual education is now a political topic in America. There have been many attempts to make positive changes in our education system concerning bilingual education. Even for those who agree that bilingual education is important, arriving at the answer to the best approach is on a meandering path. With decades of studies, opinions and speculation as to the right way to best educate English language learners, it is not unlikely that many Americans wonder if bilingual education is friend or foe? Answers to these questions...
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...ISSUE” (BILINGUAL APPROACH IN EDUCATION) Submitted by: ARVELLA M. ALBAY Ph.D Psych Student Submitted to: DR. MARY ANN VILLENA Professor June 29, 2013 MANUEL L. QUEZON UNIVERSITY Manila, Philippines School of Graduate Studies Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (Ph.D) First Semester 2013-2014 SEMINAR IN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIAL ISSUES (SPSI) Topic : THE NAGGING LANGUAGE ISSUE (Bilingual Approach in Education) Reporter : ARVELLA MEDINA-ALBAY, Ph.D Psych Professor : DR. MARY ANN VILLENA INTRODUCTION BILINGUAL EDUCATION involves teaching academic content in two languages, in a native and secondary language with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model. ➢ “Bilingual Education Policy (BEP) in the Philippines is defined operationally as the separate use of Filipino and English as the media of instruction in specific subject areas.” As embodied in the DECS Order, Filipino shall be used as medium of instruction in social studies/social sciences, music, arts, physical education, home economics, practical arts and character education. English, on the other hand is allocated to science, mathematics, and technology subjects. ➢ From the above description, it is quite evident that there is confusion for some educators who defined BEP as the actual use of both languages (English and Filipino) inside the classroom. As stated above, BEP clearly states the scope and limitations of English and Filipino use. History of Bilingual Education...
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...Bilingual Education in the United States Christian Sotomayor ITT-Technical Institute GE217 02-24-12 Abstract Controversy over bilingual education has been around for much longer than people may think, But only in the past few decades as the migrant population has increased the issues is once again back in the table to be discussed over. Some Americans fear that their sense of identity could be lost if bilingual education is taught at schools and on the other hand other people is conscious that the so called “American Identity” is nothing but a mixture of different cultures and by teaching students to become proficient in two languages it is going to make them more competitive for the job market. In a few words, we can make things better for students by encouraging them to keep their native tongue and become proficient in the English language. Bilingual Education in the United States Many people do not realize that this great country was founded by immigrants from all over the world. The so called “American identity” was not formed by just one group of people but a great variety of cultures what we also call a “melting pot”. Bilingual education has been a very controversial issue and as more people migrates from all parts of the world this issue will become more and more important and will have to be taken care of by our government. The controversy over bilingual education, whether it should be encouraged in an American school system or not, has been a topic of...
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...communicate, perform or provide services or provide materials in any language other than English" (2006). Politics of Bilingualism in Education In an article from Social Justice, James Crawford describes the politics of bilingualism in education by offering a detailed history and the political debate that has ensued since the Bilingual Education Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Johnson in 1968. The latest movements to make English a national language are mentioned, and the attempt is then made to answer the many questions that the bill inspires, including its impact, significance and true purpose (1998). Bilingual Education An article in the Bilingual Research Journal by Carlos J. Ovando of Arizona State University argues that changing political, social, and economic forces, rather than any consistent ideology, have shaped the nation’s responses to bilingual education. He concludes that language ideology in the United States has shifted according to changing historical events, and the absence of a consistent U.S. language ideology has enhanced the role of symbolic politics—the resentment of special treatment for minority groups (2003). Current Ineffectiveness of Bilingual Education On the Center for Equal Opportunity’s website, an article obtained from Reader’s Digest shows how ineffective bilingual education is in...
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...The direct purpose of this essay is to explore, research, and discuss bilingual language education throughout the United States and other countries. It is estimated that throughout the world approximately 6,000 different languages are spoken and that fewer than 25percent of our world’s approximate 200 countries recognize two or more official languages (Grimes, 1992 ). Grimes (1992) also goes on to surprise us with this unbelievable statistic, being that only a mere handful of these 200 countries recognizing more than two. Despite the above conservative figures, data has shown that there are many more bilingual or multilingual individuals around the world than there are monolingual (Tucker, 1999). It is estimated, that there are many more children...
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...Bilingual Education By C. Mori When I started my investigation about bilingual education I never thought the debate about it would be as controversial and passionate as it is. But considering the numbers of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the U.S. public school, approximately 5.5 million, which represent about 11% of total number of students, and the percentage of drop outs, about 30% of ELLs, it is understandable that public opinion puts some pressure on the U.S. public school system to adopt the most efficient and adequate system for this growing minority group. The number of ELLs abandoning school has remained high for a long period of time generating serious doubts about the functionality and effectiveness of bilingual education and other programs. Two have been the main reasons attributed for this desertion from classes: the low socioeconomic level of ELLs and language differences. In this context, dual language, one modality of bilingual education, is showing to be able to make students excel in their academic performance and revert negative statistics Currently, in the United States there are two major approaches about how to teach English to those children whose primary language is different from English. The first approach is by immersing them in English only classes. This program was first implemented in California with proposition 227 in 1998 and continued to other states like Arizona and Massachusetts where bilingual education was...
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...Bilingual Education and the Success of Boston’s Latino Youth The success of Latino students in the Boston Public School system is undoubtedly and inextricably linked to the success of the district, in partnership with state government, combining both proven and innovative strategies in delivering English language instruction to the city’s students. At 43% of total enrollment, Latino students are the largest and fastest-growing demographic in Boston Public Schools (Handy). And while a majority of Latino students speak English proficiently, census records show that in the City of Boston half of all Latinos were born outside of the United States; 30% of Latinos in the Boston Public School system are English Language Learners (Uriarte, Chen, and Kala 9), and, not surprisingly, the majority (57% in 2012) of Boston’s students classified as Limited English Proficient, speak Spanish (Uriarte). Simply put, there is no way to ensure that schools are working to the best capacity for the district’s largest ethnic group without also ensuring that proper systems are in place to educate English Language Learners, who are disproportionately Latino. Unfortunately, this has not always been the easiest of tasks, and a ballot initiative of over a decade ago would come to undermine much of the needed progress in the Boston Public Schools. November 5, 2002 may seem like a distant memory for some, but on that day, the result of that year’s election would come to have a resounding impact on Massachusetts’...
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...everywhere throughout the world have brought into the nation. Together with English, Italian, German, Dutch, Polish, French, Spanish, Chinese, also Japanese are only a portion of the more than two hundred languages spoken in the United States. Many students whom have immigrant parents or grandparents may experience issues in schools because they do not speak English fluently. Bilingual Education has been studied in numerous structures, in numerous nations, and for a number of years, the use of two languages, native and secondary in schools by teachers, students, or both. Bilingual inculcation perpetuates to receive approval in the national media. This digest analyzes a portion of the feedback, and its impact on popular assumption, which frequently focus around misinterpretations about bilingual training's objectives and practice....
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...In this paper I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of teaching the students in their primary language, should ELL instructions replace native language, should Ell students be identified as children who need special education. The large percentage of the population in our schools today are the English as second Language students (ESL) and the ESL population continues to grow more than the English speaking students.(Pellion 2007) In 2000-2001 the population of English Language Learners (ELL) have grown to one hundred five percent and are limited proficiency in English. (Edweeks 2004).The (ESL) students are one of the lowest ranked in academic achievements. The (ELL) are faced with challenges by not been prominent in English. Since increase of the (ELL) students this has caused to have a shortage in qualified teachers. Some teachers are not prepared to teach these students. (Echevarrea,& Graves 2007). Teaching the ELL students in their native language and English will help them achieve their goals and help them to learn faster. By teaching an ELL student in English and their native language may make them fall into a cycle of language dependency which will inhibit a significant progress in English-language acquisition. (Edweek 2004) Studies show that ELL students lag far behind their English speaking peers. Only seven percent of these students scored at or above proficient in reading, this was on...
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...2015 English Language Learners Policy Roxana Rodriguez California State University, Dominguez Hills SPE 481 – Diverse Learners with Exceptionalities July 12, 2015 English Learner History and Sociopolitical Context Immigration has always been a part of American history. However, in 1910 a shift in the type of American immigrant occurred. Up to this point most immigrants were from northern European and were mostly Anglo-Saxon and Protestant. With the incoming of immigrants who looked and talked a lot different from the first American immigrants an Americanization movement commenced. The 1906 Nationality Act made speaking English a requirement for US citizenship, this shaped what it meant to be an American and consequently...
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...Background: As a bilingual facilitator and instructional coach for a primarily EL school, I’ve always wondered how much my personal cultural and linguistic background has affected my capacity to fulfill the needs of English language learners. My family and I are Mexican American with family background from Spain. I was born in Mexico and migrated to the United States at the age of 10. I grew up in a very close and proud family where Spanish was the primary language. Spanish was used in my home by my parents and English by siblings. I was never exposed to other languages until I migrated to the United States. Throughout my life I’ve been exposed to Spanish, English, French (high school) and Italian (college). I believe that my personal experience in acquiring a second language has made me realize and understand the needs of English language learners. K-12 Schools in the United States I consider myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend school in Mexico from K-4th and the remaining of 4th -12th in the United States. I have to admit that my first years in the US school system were challenging but certainly rewarding. I migrated to the United States in the mid 1980’s. At that time, being an English learner was not well accepted by society. Our education system was not equipped with the proper resources. I struggled with acquiring the language properly. My parents were very concern about our education and did everything within their power to help us in school. It...
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