Preview

Bilingualism: Second Language

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1493 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Bilingualism: Second Language
Diversity
In this country the English language rules the land. Although English hasn’t exactly always been the official language of America, it is now. In the early period of our country America was basically a melting pot for cultures, languages, religion etc. Things have very much changed since then. English may be the dominant, but millions of Americans speak more than just English at home. Bilingualism is all around us; in a country that is dominated by English I think bilingualism would strengthen the United States. Bilingualism is not typical but it is common now a days. With a growing number of people that are bilingual, how many are actually fluent? “Writers and journalists routinely use what is called human-interest stories to give presence to issues or arguments”. (Lunsford, Ruszkiewicz and Walters 40) Many people can communicate roughly at least in two languages. If bilingualism were to be enforced in schools I believe it would provide minority children with the skills that will help them succeed. Not only will it help them understand the language but with time and practice they will improve and ultimately become fluent in two languages. Knowing more than one language always sounds good and looks even better on a resume’. It just goes to show that the more you know the more your worth. This would only work if it is enforced into the public school systems. “To make a proposal, first establish that a need or problem exists”. (Lunsford, Ruszkiewicz and Walters 280) In this case that would be the bilingual educational program. While the population of language minority children in the nation makes up a significant part of the student population, it will continue to grow. Wherever we may be ranked as far as education, I’m more than sure there are students out there who want a good education. All students who are willing to learn have the right to be provided with a good education while still maintaining their native language. Bilingual education, or

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Bilingualism helps to increase the academic and intellectual development of the brain. It is a great ability to assimilate. When in a situation, the brain goes through a workout to resolve an internal conflict. “The key difference between bilinguals and monolinguals may be more basic: a heightened ability to monitor the environment”(Bhattacharjee, 2012). Bilingualism seems that if being bilingual is a simple life hack, then we would all be able to achieve the highest set goal. Being able to withhold more than one language is part of the brain’s executive function. Having to deal with any kind of puzzle even if it is from another country a bilingual has a better chance of solving it. It would be a better opportunity if it was learned at an earlier…

    • 289 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Before I read this article I would have thought myself in favor of bilingual education. It would appear to be the easiest way to assimilate immigrants to our cultural as well as broadening the cultural horizons of our native English speaking students. I have no idea how arrogant a way of thinking that could possibly be.…

    • 508 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The majority of resources and strategies discussed in this handbook are teacher and student friendly. As educators we can utilize this handbook to improve educational practices and help emergent bilinguals succeed in their education.…

    • 199 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    I can understand both the pros and cons to bilingual education; however, I am more influenced by the negative points, due to the fact that nations are lacking resources for instruction. If the resources provided are inappropriate or lacking credentials, the students will ultimately be affected. Even though bilingual individuals are more advanced regarding their problem solving skills, their memory, and their job qualifications, without the proper useful resources, an individual will not achieve…

    • 1241 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Cafs Irp

    • 987 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In my opinion bilingualism plays a major role in the educational development of children. This is because research has shown that children who are fluent in their home language are more successful in learning a second language. Furthermore, being bilingual offers greater sensitivity to language, more flexibility in thinking and better ear for listening. It also improves a child’s understanding for the native language. Moreover, knowledge of other languages increases a career of opportunities offering several job options.…

    • 987 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is understandable that the Non-English communities might feel as if their own identity is under a threat from learning a new language. The fear of accepting a new culture and language might possibly eliminate their own culture and language. However, instead of letting the fear take over us, I say we should look at it in a more positive viewpoint and embrace this new change. As a matter of fact, it is absolutely lucky to be bilingual with so many benefits in store for us. In my case, being fluent in Mandarin and English has given me an infinite advantage of being a part of both cultures, which enable me to share my own culture and language with many American people as I have come to love and enjoy the American language and culture. Additionally,…

    • 177 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Bilingual Education Act, Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1968, was proclaimed as landmark legislation in defense of curriculum s for English language learner students. This federal law presented legal procedures and funding for transitional bilingual education programs. A sequence of federal court verdicts helped expand the opportunities and execution of Title VII (“The Aftermath,” 2011). The Supreme Court judgment in Lau v. Nichols in 1974 expected school districts to take steps to defend the civil rights of English language learners. From 1998 to 2008 initiatives really began to take shape for English language learners. In five different states voters were requested to come to a decision about educating policies that effect English language learners (Mora, 2009). Anti bilingual education vote proposal was passed in California in 1998, Arizona in 2000, and Massachusetts in 2002. However, the anti bilingual education was rejected in Colorado in 2002 and most recently in Oregon in 2008 (“The Importance of Our English Language,”…

    • 1220 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    American students should definitely be required to learn a second language in school. It has economic benefits, it would facilitate global affairs, and it improves brain activity. The requirement that Americans students be bilingual would have international benefits.…

    • 236 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When it comes to the academic benefits of bilingual education amid students, it has been pointed out that grade three students who were taken through bilingual education from their kindergarten level of education did not perform in the same way Spanish-speaking students who started in English-only programs did in their class tests (Carlson &Meltzof, 2008). Spanish speaking children performed exceptionally better. However, as the same students advanced in their studies to the fifth grade, students who were subjected to bilingual education were more likely to read to the same standards or even better compared to their peers who went through English-only programs (Soderman, 2010). Bilingual education enabled individuals to read and write better in the additional languages they…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As an a preschool teacher for the past seven years, I have all my experience in a bilingual classroom without speaking more than just English. As the lead teacher in my Head Start classrooms, I have always relied on a bilingual teacher assistant to provided communication for my Spanish speakers parents, children and myself. However, I can say that I have know several “Spanish preschool phrases” that have gotten me by during the standard, structure classroom day. Currently, I feel confident enough in my knowledge and experiences in my classroom. As a seasonal teacher, I want to expand my awareness of how I can further my teaching skills for my bilingual students in language and literacy.…

    • 207 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Revolutionary leaders knew that encouraging the growth of the multilingual population in the United States was vital to maintaining distance from Great Britain. The Founding Fathers sought to respect the minority groups that helped free the nation from the British crown, therefore avoiding instituting an official national language from the Constitution. In fact, around this time many documents were printed in German and French to stimulate political participation among multilingual citizens. But when the political arena of the 1980s fostered bilingual legislation (for example, introducing bilingual schooling and bilingual voting forms), this respect for foreign languages nearly vanished as many citizens took up arms against American-English being challenged.…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Bilingual

    • 2343 Words
    • 10 Pages

    TEACHER ATTITUDES TOWARD THE PRINCIPLES OF BILINGUAL EDUCATION AND TOWARD STUDENTS ' PARTICIPATION IN BILINGUAL PROGRAMS: SAME OR DIFFERENT? Fay H. Shin California State University, Stanislaus Stephen Krashen University of Southern California…

    • 2343 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Potowski listed makes me question why there is such a huge opposition to bilingualism in the U.S.; the encouragement of monolingualism is obvious, yet there are no apparent benefits that stem from becoming a monolingual country. So, why are people in the U.S. so adamant that everyone who comes here must learn to speak English and only English? Why are other languages met with such distaste? To be direct, I believe that it may be that people in the U.S. are simply ignorant to other culture; as a country, we are “stuck in our ways” and we seemingly ignore the overwhelming evidence of the advantages that stem from bilingual education. Even I was dumbfounded when Potowski mentioned that there are programs where 90% of the school day is taught in Spanish. Nevertheless, because of my newfound knowledge, I sincerely think that the U.S. should consider expanding bilingual education; the research is clear: bilingual education has many advantages that cannot and should not be…

    • 1872 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    The United States also needs to make a decision about whether they want “semilingualism” or “balanced bilingualism.” The United States’ current bilingual education programs are more of a semilingualism approach, where one language is considerably better than the other. In contrast, other nations such as countries in Europe have a balanced approach, where two or more languages are used at the same level. The semilingualism approach usually involves one class a day to learn the second language, whereas the balanced bilingualism approach would involve the second language being taught in other subjects as well. With the way many American schools are set up, secondary languages are only taught for about an hour each day for one semester a year, which is not enough instruction time to become bilingual. “Learning should be integrated rather than compartmentalized and there needs to be more interaction between subject areas” (“eds.b.ebscohost.com”). There should not be a block of time each day for secondary language instruction alone. Instead, the secondary language should be integrated into other subjects as well to achieve balanced bilingualism.…

    • 1462 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Bilingualism In America

    • 269 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Bilingualism can be challenge to the American because learning any language takes a lot of effort. While English thrives in the States, the States is gaining new speakers of other languages every year. The people against bilingual education insisted that bilingualism is a threat to national unity. In my opinion, first, I do not think that bilingualism is a threat to national unity. Bilingualism means an equal ability to communicate in two languages. Bilingual is a very useful skill. Therefore, we should celebrate it rather than seeing it as a nationalistic issue. We need to reinforce foreign language education to meet the demands of globalization. Foreign language education is becoming more common. Second, learning a foreign language is important,…

    • 269 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays