Free Essays on Bilingual Eduaction

For years, bilingual education has received criticism in the national media. The most recent attack has come from millionaire Ronald Unz. Unz had proposed an initiative, which would rigidly limit bilingual education in the state of Massachusetts. The implication of the initiative is that that bilingual education is a failed experiment. The proposed law would replace the current state law providing transitional education in public schools with new legislation. The new law would require (with limited exceptions) that all public school students are taught English by being taught all subjects in English, and by being placed in English-only language classrooms. The initiative will completely remove bilingual education for all limited English proficient (LEP) children in Kindergarten through fourth grade. Students older than ten may apply for a waiver from the English-only program on a limited basis. Further, the law would allow teachers to be personally sued for using a childâ€⠄¢s native language to aide in learning. If the initiative is passed, dramatic changes will clearly occur. Still, the question remains: is this initiative a good idea? This paper aims to explain the rationale underlying good bilingual education programs and to present findings about their effectiveness. There will also be discussions of criticism of bilingual programs. When schools provide children quality education in their primary language, they give them two things: knowledge and literacy. The knowledge that children get through their first language helps make the English they hear and read more comprehensible. Literacy developed in the primary language transfers to the second language. The reason seems simple: Because we learn to read by making sense of what is on the page, it is easier to learn to read in a language we understand (Smith 1994). Once we can read in one language, we can read in general. I work with ESL students recei... Free Essays on Bilingual Eduaction Free Essays on Bilingual Eduaction For years, bilingual education has received criticism in the national media. The most recent attack has come from millionaire Ronald Unz. Unz had proposed an initiative, which would rigidly limit bilingual education in the state of Massachusetts. The implication of the initiative is that that bilingual education is a failed experiment. The proposed law would replace the current state law providing transitional education in public schools with new legislation. The new law would require (with limited exceptions) that all public school students are taught English by being taught all subjects in English, and by being placed in English-only language classrooms. The initiative will completely remove bilingual education for all limited English proficient (LEP) children in Kindergarten through fourth grade. Students older than ten may apply for a waiver from the English-only program on a limited basis. Further, the law would allow teachers to be personally sued for using a childâ€⠄¢s native language to aide in learning. If the initiative is passed, dramatic changes will clearly occur. Still, the question remains: is this initiative a good idea? This paper aims to explain the rationale underlying good bilingual education programs and to present findings about their effectiveness. There will also be discussions of criticism of bilingual programs. When schools provide children quality education in their primary language, they give them two things: knowledge and literacy. The knowledge that children get through their first language helps make the English they hear and read more comprehensible. Literacy developed in the primary language transfers to the second language. The reason seems simple: Because we learn to read by making sense of what is on the page, it is easier to learn to read in a language we understand (Smith 1994). Once we can read in one language, we can read in general. I work with ESL students recei...