Need To Make Bilingual Education Mandatory In The United States (Research Paper Sample)

Name
Professor
Course
Date
Bilingual Education
Most American schools have not complied with the funding of bilingual education systems because they feel that students who do not speak English have the mandate to learn and speak it (Parmon66). More than three hundred and twenty million people in the world have been reported to speak English, however; about two hundred and sixty six million speak Spanish, while eight hundred and eighty eight million speak Mandarin (Carroll para 2). In a world that has proven to be globalizing at a fast rate and technology making communication much faster, the importance of being multilingual has been more pressing than ever. In the US, from 1990-1991, the number of student enrollment into bilingual education programs increased from about two million to above five million by 2003 (Johnson and Brandt 59).
A misconception has repeatedly ensued about the US as a monolingual state yet there is the presence of other languages and ethnic identities from the founders of the nation to the immigrants from across the border. The problem can be argued to be caused by the Founders who chose to ignore the rich linguistic origin of the US and unify its history and traditions into one common language (Ovando 2). The 20th century was characterized by a call for homogeneity in languages. This era led to the standardization of the urban schools as well as their bureaucratization. The argument was that it was supposed to Americanize the immigrants so that they could be integrated into the conventional society. It is, however, important to note that some states passed laws allowing bilingual education in the nineteenth century. ;
Ovando explains that the Bilingual Education Act was rather ambiguous in nature although it was a significant move away from the era of Darwinian educational practices (8). The pervasive stagnation in the knowledge about foreign languages is a factor than can be considered a threat to the US citizen’s ability to compete in an international market. The education system in the US has not given much emphasis on the importance of speaking other languages apart from the English that feels familiar to them.
Bilingual education is more important for the people of color because they make up the largest proportion of the beneficiaries of this program.Such programs help in narrowing the achievement gaps that exist. In an attempt to ensure that there was linguistic and cultural control, new territories in the Southwest adopted different strategies. One of the strategies was to eliminate the border to allow the English-speaking majority to mix with the Spanish-speaking society (Nieto 68). The efforts can be argued to be rather insignificant. The argument is because the United States remains the only industrialized country that accepts student high school graduation without foreign language credits. By the time these students consider learning the second language, it is usually too late for them to be as proficient as their European counterparts (“Benefits of Learning a Second Language RSS” para 1).
Children in European countries learn second languages when they are about six years, there cases of some learning at the tender age of three. Such factors may be the reasons behind America’s record of only nine percent being multilingual. In Europe, this number is at fifty two percent in terms of international languages and culture. The need for bilingual lessons is big enough back in the US considering there are more than five and a half million people who do not speak English. The citizens’ lack of multilingual skills limits their interaction, even in the academic arena (Cooper para 1). American students lacking knowledge of foreign languages is limiting their approach to the challenges that this new era presents. The issue gets more serious in the revelation that most of the students that choose to study foreign languages are in private schools, meaning that less Americans get a chance to be bilingual.
Problem Statement
The US has recorded a low rate of multilingual citizens as compared to the other areas around the world. There has been repeated calls to make bilingual education compulsory because of the benefits derived from such systems in the wake of some weak education programs that gave adopted the education (Lynch para 1). The ideal situation in the US would depict an education system that has embraced foreign languages, and the students are benefiting from its adoption. This research paper will, therefore, determine if this type of education should be made compulsory and improvements that can be made for those that currently exist.
Research Questions
1 What is the importance of studying more than one language?
2 How can bilingual education in the US be improved?
3 Should the US government make bilingual education compulsory for its students
Significance of language diversity in Education
A significant percentage of the student population in the States consists of non native Americans. The foreign students are from different parts of the world; they come to the United States to get a quality education. Most of the students do not regard English as their first language; as such, they may encounter difficulty in adjusting to the new environment. Globalization has enabled students to travel to different countries to acquire the required education or their career. The universities in the United States emphasize the importance of having a diverse culture in their student population. The schools pride themselves in the cosmopolitan and international aspects of the courses and social life of the education.
In an educational environment, there are events such as seminars and group discussions that are part of the course curriculum. In this regard, lectures and teachers often find difficulty in teaching or addressing students from different backgrounds, languages and academic interests. Higher learning institutions have frequent seminars that involve all the students with common educational interests. In such seminars, the students who are not Native Americans may have a difficult time understanding and comprehending the issues discussed. Despite most universities mandating international students to take an English proficiency test, the adjustment to the new learning environment may affect the students’ performance.
Educators who deal with mixed nationality students are forced to amend their teaching styles and strategies in order to accommodate the non-English speakers. In addition, in regard to teaching experience, the students who are not proficient in English may struggle to participate during class and group discussions. Essentially, activities such as educational seminars, class and group discussions are vital part of the education system. The students who are not proficient in English will be left out in the participation of such events. In this regard, it is important for the schools in US to consider bilingual education as a means of reaching out to the international students.
What is the importance of studying more than one language?
According to the Associated Press, more people in the world today are multilingual compared to the monolingual population. The statistics further reveal that more than 60% of the children in the world are raised to speak more than one language. In the United States however, only 6 % of the children are bilingual. Experts suggest that teaching children more than one language has long-term benefits on the cognitive growth of the child. For instance, studies indicate that children who learn a second language by the age of five have a stronger brainpower. In addition, children who are bilingual, usually score higher in math, languages, Arts and reading. In bilingual learning, children use self-discipline to switch between the two languages, hence, it enables them to have mental flexibility, creativity and become efficient problem solvers.
The bilingual education in America is a highly controversial as well as political issue. However, the government has endeavored to implement programs that effectively address the bilingual education in the school systems. For instance, in an effort to address the bilingual issue in the schools, President Bush implemented the No child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in 2001.The program caters for the bilingual education in the schools and provides funding and policies to be followed when implementing the program. The NCLB Act ensures that the non English-speaking students meet the reading and writing proficiency of the English language like their English-speaking counterparts. Despite criticism from several educators, the NCLB program has proved effective in many schools in the nation.
The increase in globalization has made communication easily accessible and faster. In this regard, it is vital for people to be proficient in multiple languages that will enable them to communicate effectively across the globe. Many European nations mandate their school-going children to be proficient in at least one foreign language as part of their school curriculum. However, most schools in the United States do not make the extra language skill compulsory or part of the student course work (Benefits of learning a second language para 1).When students learn a second language in school, they will better understand and relate to the other cultures that they associate with. In addition, comprehension of a second language will assist the students appreciate the diverse backgrounds and cultural differences of other students (Benefits of learning a second language para 2).
Culturally aware students are able to break the social barriers and easily associate with different people, thus enhance their social networks. Additionally, students will be able to participate in ma...