The Importance Of Bilingualism

Martin Espada also argues that cultural aggression causes diversion amongst communities and that Spanish speakers receive unfair treatments due to suspicion and fear from non-Spanish speaking people. Between the communities of Spanish and Non-Spanish speakers the presence of violence and bullying lingers and affects both of the involved parties. Espada writes about one of his encounters with an

The need for bilingual education is not directly related to the need for the student to have a more pleasant learning experience, but based more on the increasing need for these individuals to learn about their heritage, how they can present themselves to others in different scenarios, and being knowledgeable in both languages at a dual equivalence. The key

Martin Espada also argues that cultural aggression causes diversion amongst communities and Spanish speakers receive unfair treatments due to suspicion and fear from non-Spanish speaking people. Violence and bullying were often seen between communities of Spanish and Non-Spanish speakers. Between the communities of Spanish and Non-Spanish speakers the presence of violence and bullying lingered and effected the pEspada writes about one of his encounters with an angry man; “He can rip out my tongue if he wants. But it won't work because I speak Spanish with my heart.” (7). This aggression leads to hate and conflict between cultures in our community, however; Espada believes that bilingualism can unite and solve the conflict. Another reason a divide between groups is present that many non-Spanish speakers have superstition towards Spanish speakers. “Many Anglos assume that the only reason Latinos speak Spanish is to say diabolical things” (Page 8, Line 121). This fear of the Spanish language leads to a ban of Spanish at schools, a drive to make English the official language of Massachusetts, and other discriminant actions against

As the previous discussion has shown, the notions bilingualism and bilingual education are pretty complex. Summing up, bilingualism exists in different levels, which are defined as termed individual bilingualism and societal bilingualism. These forms are typical either for the whole language minorities (communities) or for an individual. This should be taken into account for bilingual education, which can be described as language possession at the individual level. From the research that has been carried out, it is possible to conclude that this issue is very complex and can be described by various dimensions, such as language ability, achievement, competences, performance, proficiency and skills, as well as the age of language acquisition, the balance of two languages, context of language usage.

As a child, I was simultaneously immersed in three completely different cultures. My mother was Chinese, yet spoke Vietnamese, my father was white, and I lived in a predominantly Spanish community. These contrasting lifestyles and cultures truly showed me the difference between a public and a private identity, and the importance behind bilingualism in the world today. However, before I can recount what I’ve learned, we must first discuss two contrasting concepts about bilingualism from two very accomplished and controversial writers: Martín Espada and Richard Rodriguez.

Although being bilingual could keep you connected with your ancestors, war against bilingualism in the United States exists. Martin Espada illustrates the discrimination that bilingualism and Spanish speakers face daily. Espada explains; “ There are too many in this country who would amputate the Spanish tongue.” (4). The cultural aggression towards Spanish and other languages that aren’t English continue to rise. He elaborates, “The purists of English language is being corrupted from the bottom up: by “Spanglish,” by “Ebonics,” by all non-standard English as spoken by poor and working-class people. These dialects seek to obscure, rather than clarify; their intent is not to communicate, but to control.” (5). Espada points out that people in the United States devote their time to oppose bilingual and foreign language. The State House of Massachusetts attempted to make English the official language of the state, which would then act as a base for legal discrimination against Spanish and Latinos. Espada recalls an incident; “At META, we saw language discrimination cases on occasion. One case came from nearby Lynn, Massachusetts. A Latino parent called us and said; “Please come over to Lynn English High School. They have banned Spanish at lunchtime.” (7). The conclusion to ban Spanish at lunchtime came to a chief lunchroom aide overheard a few students speaking Spanish at lunch and thought that they talked about Anglos people among everyone. Many

To become bilingual, must you lose a piece of your identity? Or can the cultures of language coexist in a person? In the essays by Martin Espada and Richard Rodriguez, the ability to maintain identity as a bilingual speaker is challenged. According to Espada, Spanish should be permitted everywhere to prevent losing a piece of one’s identity. However, Rodriguez believes that a piece of your identity must be sacrificed in order to be accepted into a new culture. For others, such as myself, there is a happy compromise; bilingualism should be encouraged and supported in public to communicate and spread understanding.

Despite federal laws of today’s society require that states provide language education to all non-native English speaking students, less than 150 years ago, Congress banned bilingual education in public schools. During the Civil War and World War I and II, bilingualism was considered to be a threat to national unity which increased the risk of terrorism. As a result, the struggle for federal and state recognition of bilingual education as a civil right has been long and fierce. While such fears of bilingualism are no longer as prevalent in today’s society, racist attitudes toward ESOL, LEP, ELL, and ESL students are very apparent. With going tensions surrounding the topic of immigration and terrorism, there is a stigma of non-English speakers that follows.

Language is used every day in our everyday lives all over the world. Marian and Shook state that “language is used to communicate our thoughts and feelings, connect with others, identify culture, and understand the world around us” (Marian & Shook ,2012,para.1) There are many languages all over the world and some people understand more than one language such as understanding both English and Spanish. People that are Bilingual are exceptional in a way that they are intelligent, helpful, and have advantage openers.

According to Martin Espada’s essay The New Bathroom Policy at English High School, bilingualism is not just speaking two languages, but a prominent piece of one’s original culture and identity. Espada fights to preserve bilingualism against Anglos who strive to oppose education that is not taught in English. As Espada speaks in front of the Massachusetts State House he shares, “‘He can rip my tongue out if he wants. But it won’t work… because I speak Spanish with my heart’” (7). Although English speakers will try to take away one’s culture, lingual preservation continues to occur. Anglos force cultural aggression upon bilingual speakers, but the determination and connection that bilingualism carries shows the importance of culture. Anglos share a sense of fear that Mexicans will take over the country; therefore, they oppose bilingual education by exhibiting hostility towards Spanish and other bilingual speakers. James Crawford, a documentalist who focuses on the xenophobic movement of Spanish hostility proposes that,

It is a long going controversy in American education- whether the future leaders of our country should be educated in one, or multiple languages other than English as a standard in every school. Why is the debate so ongoing in the United States? In most other countries, foreign language education is a must in the school system, not a privilege.

National Association for Bilingual Education defines bilingual education is defined as any use of two languages in school by teachers or students or both. Yet, today’s context of bilingual education is more detailed than any use of two languages as bilingual education is now more specific

As the title suggests, “Speaking in Tongues: The Many Benefits of Bilingualism” is an article that examines the advantages of bilingualism. Due to the nature of the world, a great number of people have acquired the ability to speak more than one language. The author explores the benefits such an ability offers, arguing that bilingual children develop social, linguistic and cognitive skillsets that not only provides a chance to explore different cultures, but raises a child’s awareness of how language functions. The author also weighs on the cognitive aspect; applying the works of Ellen Bialystok to their ( the author’s ) argument. In the author’s view, bilingual children are better at dealing with conflicting cues and assessing information.

For this investigative assignment, I interviewed three of my closest friends about their perspectives on bilingual education in the United States. One of my friends, who I will call “A,” said that bilingual education is important for students because it helps them broaden their perspectives on the world. Students are exposed to learn different cultures and respect them, promoting multiculturalism in our country. “A” said that if students were only exposed to English-only classroom setting, they would most likely be ignorant of other cultures. She also told me about her experience when she was in an ESL program during her middle school year. She described the program as useless because she and her classmates learned broken English from each other. She somehow managed to get out of the program and put herself into the mainstream English class. My other friend, who I will call “B,” stated that bilingual education is helpful in developing a wider cultural perspective and cultivating a person suitable for the globalized world. As a foreign-born American and working as an international student coordinator, she emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and respecting different cultures. She believes that bilingual education can help students to achieve better knowledge on growing multiculturalism in our country. My last interviewee, who I will call “C,” also believes that bilingual education is important to cultivate young minds by helping them to respect not only their own but

Learning any new language is a matter which requires time, dedication and support. When considering English language learners, or ELLs, and their language acquisition it is also important to consider all factors such as educational, financial, location and more importantly the law. Depending on the location different legislations and regulations are in place that have an effect on the education of ELLs. For example, the state of Massachusetts, banned the use of bilingual education in schools. However when considering older ELL students who have more academic knowledge in their native language it is likely that they may know much of the material for example in math or science class. However learning the concepts and or new concepts when the acquisition of English is subpar is difficult and is why many students will end up having to repeat grades or worse are labeled as needing to be in special education. However in Massachusetts legislators are reconsidering English only education and are currently in the process of voting to overrule the decision. The argument lies in the fact that so many ELL students are getting left behind and or are being labeled as special needs students. Some local legislators have suggested that it is unfair at best to measure an ELL student’s success in their academics when they are still struggling to learn the language. As (Vaznis 2017) noted the amount of ELL students is growing especially in the United States, due to this legislators can no