Because bilingual education is such a heated topic many contentions can be made for and against its implement into school programs. Opposing the idea of this form of education for instance, is a very common and popular argument. Many people believe government funded programs that deal with teaching non-native English speaking children English, and general academics through the aide of their native language, are “perhaps well-intentioned” but “simply do not work” and are “failed experiments” (Reagan, Rojas 3). More often than not, better results are found when children are involved in complete English immersion. John P. Avalon notes in his article “The Scandal in Bilingual Ed.,” while 130,000 students in New York City remain in segregated bilingual classrooms for at least one more year to date, “the data is in on the effectiveness of immersion programs” (Avalon 2). Bilingual education was put to an end in California in favor of English immersion four years ago. Today, “the number of Hispanic students scoring above the state median in reading increased to 35% from 21%, while the number in math increased to 46% from 27%” (Avalon 2). Aside from the obvious lack of sufficient data in support of bilingual education, the issue is heightened by discussion of the wasted money given toward these programs and the “unacceptable cost of taking your eye off the ball in education reform” (Avalon 1). As a result, recently passed national legislation cut funding for bilingual education.
On the other hand, opposite the opinion that bilingual programs are failed experiments, are the many arguments as to why this form of education is not just a helpful tool but a necessity to the survival of immigrant children. Gigi Zientek notes in her article “Bilingual is better,” that “right now, the largest population of Latino students in the nation is concentrated in the Southwest, and especially the state of Texas” (Zientek 1). Because this growing population of Latino students is mostly comprised of non-English speaking children, the awareness that another language is often thought of as a “barrier” needs to be realized. This realization is easily met through bilingual education programs, not English immersion. If immigrant children do not feel a direct connection between themselves, the material and the educator, they are not very likely to be successful. In a recent article in The Houston Chronicle entitled “Back to School,” author Melanie Markley notes the importance of the connection: “although it is not imperative to have Hispanic teachers for every Hispanic student, it is important to have teachers who connect well with their students” (Markely 2). She quotes local Houston teacher Gabriel Cabral stating that the ultimate goal of any educator, particularly Hispanics is to promote and encourage students to get a good education and says, “I feel like I’m doing a service to my culture by being a bilingual teacher” (Markley 3). Without bilingual programs and direct connection, the dropout rate of Hispanics will continue to rise. “The national rate is already at 2%--double the rate for blacks and triple the rate for whites” says Zientek, and the same report stating that “the problems of Hispanic youth are sure to increase without adequate education” (Zientek 1).
Another claim in the way of pro-bilingual education is the argument that it teaches cultural diversity and is beneficial to both native and non-native English speakers; “Everybody, not just privileged elites or poor minorities, needs to be fluent and literate in at least two languages, preferably more,” (Rojas, Regan 1). In order to gain knowledge of the growing melting pot in the United States and the diversity in the world as a whole, it is important that children are given the opportunities to be exposed to other languages. This is not only to identify with their own linguistic roots, but it helps with the acceptance of others. “Two-way immersion is an approach to education that fosters global awareness in students by deeply immersing them in a new language and culture,” Elizabeth R. Howard author of “Two-Way Immersion a Key to Global Awareness” says explaining that this allows student to experience “multilingualism and multiculturalism on a personal level” (Howard 1). This argument sheds new light on the controversial bilingual education topic. It isn’t just about one targeted group of people, its about helping society as a whole for the emerging generations. Continuing the argument Lisa A. Jones states that , “it is incumbent upon schools to prepare students to become good citizens who are more tolerant of others and are able to meet the challenges of a pluralistic society,” in “Teaching Citizenship through Multicultural Education.”
Not only does bilingual education offer a chance for success in the lives of immigrant non-English speaking children, it allows for educators to teach linguistic human rights, as well as insight to the growing diversity of the country. Though research has not shown a plethora of hard evidence supporting the successful claims of bilingual education, it works. Sure, in some instances these programs haven’t proven successful, but it shouldn’t be ruled out that they may not have been implemented correctly. Total English-immersion isn’t the key to a stable, long lasting educational experience for child immigrants. With this, they will feel isolated and often left behind in studies because they are slow picking up objectives in the curriculum. Like any child with a learning disability, non-native English speakers should be given the best opportunity for an effective recipe to success.
