The Legal and Historical Rationale of Bilingual Education Essay

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

Bilingual education has been a debatable subject since its conception during the case of Lau vs. Nichols, in the early 1970’s. However, in that case, the court only ruling was that the children’s

Around 1959, bilingual education took flight in the United States. Starting in Miami and quickly making its way San Francisco, bilingual education soon led to the Bilingual Education Act, which promoted “No Child Left Behind”. Only twenty years later, the act acquired the attention of high schools around the country. Nonetheless, bilingual education is not always taken to be the cure-all for acclimating immigrants to the United States. In his article “Aria: A Memoir of Bilingual Childhood”, Richard Rodriguez argues that students should not take part in bilingual education by explaining how it takes away individuality and a sense of family through the use of ethos, diction, and imagery; Rodriguez also uses parallelism and ethos to point out how a bilingual childhood can help students feel connected to society.

The greatest concern of mandating “English only” schools in California for example is that 80 percent of the population of students is Latino. Miner further explains, “Good bilingual programs are about more than learning a language, it should be about respect for diversity and multiculturalism (Bilingual Education, 1999).”

Around 1959, bilingual education took flight in the United States. Starting in Miami and quickly making its way San Francisco, bilingual education soon led to the Bilingual Education Act which promoted “No Child Left Behind”. Only twenty years later, the act acquired the attention of high schools around the country. Nonetheless, bilingual education is not always taken to be the cure-all for acclimating immigrants to the United States. In his article “Aria: A Memoir of Bilingual Childhood”, Richard Rodriguez argues that students should not take part in bilingual education by explaining how it takes away individuality and a sense of family through use of ethos, diction, and imagery; Rodriguez also uses

Speaking two or more languages is like a country having an atomic bomb during a war. The first situation is advantageous to a person and the second situation is advantageous to a country. “Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood” is a memoir of Richard Rodriguez’s bilingual childhood and it was originally published in Hunger of Memory in 1981. In Rodriguez’s memoir, he discusses why he disagrees with bilingual education. His audience is bilingual or anyone that has an opinion towards bilingual education. The purpose in Rodriguez’s memoir is to inform people of the effects of bilingual education and persuade bilingual educators why bilingual education shouldn’t exist.

Federal and state laws both govern the educational system in the United States, this includes laws regarding how English Language Learners (ELLs) are instructed. The federal law, No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), allows schools to decide the method to use for teaching ELLs, but it does not provide federal support for bilingual education programs, (Peregoy & Boyle (2016). Reading, Writing and Learning in ESL. page 29) . Bilingual education, is an “instructional approach that teaches at least some academic content (e.g., reading or science) in the native language in addition to teaching students academic content in English (Goldenberg, C. (2008). Teaching English language learners: What the research does – and does not – say. American Educator,

The main arguments surrounding Prop 227, is whether or not bilingual programs should be in schools in California. Some argue that having bilingual programs doesn’t help the student to learn English, it just reinforces their native language. Also it has be said that test scores supposedly did not improve in the bilingual programs. On the other hand though, people are arguing that the English Immersion programs do not work because for smaller children they must learn how to read and write in their native language to be able to

Watching the proposition 227 aftermath debate lead and hosted by Peter Skeery (the PBS channel) was an eye-opening concerning the bilingual education back then and now. It gives the impression that the issue still fresh from the yesterdays. The debaters, on one side, were: Dr. Krashen professor at California University and Mark Lopez representing the public institutions in California both arguing for bilingual education. On the other side, was Ron Unz the drafter of the proposition 227 arguing for the elimination of bilingual classes.

The Bilingual Education Act of 1968 provides a clear perspective on the issue of the public policy process. It started out with a clear goal in mind: to provide instruction to non-English students in American schools by providing some teaching in their native language along with English. The act was a part of the broader Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and a part of the Civil Rights movement because of its issues relating to language and culture. It was particularly aimed to the large amount of Hispanic immigrants in the American Southwest. The provides an issue that is complex and changing rapidly especially in today’s multiethnic and multilinguistic United States society.

Many parents want their children to be enrolled in bilingual education programs so that they may receive the knowledge of the English language while at the same time keep their current and be active with their cultural heritage. Bilingual education is another avenue that needs to be explored by more school districts across the nation because children should learn that there are other forms of communication. High schools require their students to take a foreign language before graduating, so why is this form of bilingual education accepted; yet an elementary bilingual program is under constant criticism? Bilingual people are rewarded in today's society by the higher wages and better positions. The scorn of the bilingual education programs that

Bilingualism has shown to strengthen cognitive ability. Bilingualism maintain cultures and self-esteem and build strong communities of families that can effectively contribute back to society. Unfortunately, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 states that it was established to “help ensure that English language learners and immigrant students attain English proficiency and achieve academically” which has a tendency to be interpreted as programs that look more like English Immersion or assimilation which is something that has been proven not to be academically successful. The goal of our current educational policies toward education do not utilize such terms or seem to support cultural maintenance or

Prior to the Bilingual Education Act of 1968, the U.S. government had a change in attitude towards bilingualism and bilingual educations. At times, there was this permissive attitude that allowed teaching through the mother tongue acceptable. As long as it was within the jurisdiction of local towns and districts, schools were allowed to teach in the child’s native language. However, there were times in which higher authorities were against languages other than English. This hostile climate would result in the drastic reduction of any type of bilingual instruction offered by the state (Nieto, 2009). The following legislations regarding bilingual education are some of the most influential in the history of

Bilingual education is not new. Contrary to popular belief, bilingual education programs were not products of the 1960s. In fact, they aren’t even products of the twentieth century. The first state to actually pass a bilingual education law was Ohio, in 1839 (History of Bilingual Education, 1998). The law was for German-English bilingual education, and was passed as a result of a strong parental initiative. By the end of the nineteenth century, about a dozen states had passed similar laws, and in many other states such instruction was offered, although it had not been sanctioned by the state. During the World War One era, however, as the loyalty of non-English speaking Americans came increasingly under suspicion, many states decided to enact English-only instruction, in an attempt to Americanize non-English speakers. As a result, during the 1920s the bilingual education program had been almost completely dismantled.

In this literature review I will be discussing studies that are in favor, not in favor, and neutral on bilingual education.