Bilingual Education I. Bilingual Education 1) Bilingual education provides instruction in both the students’ native language and

Bilingual Education
    Good morning. Today we will talk about bilingual education in the United States. (1) Bilingual education is an educational program that provides instruction in both the students’ native language and the language of the host country. In the United States, bilingual programs give instruction in English and some other language, such as Spanish or Vietnamese.
    Bilingual education became federal law in 1974. According to the Bilingual Education Act of 1974, public schools must provide equal educational opportunities for students who speak languages other than English. This law was renewed in 1984. The laws recommended that federal money be given to states so that they could implement bilingual programs and teacher training, classes in students’ native language, and English as a Second Language (ESL in short).
    Some states had begun their own bilingual programs before they were required to do so by federal law. Massachusetts became the first state to demand bilingual education in 1971. The bilingual programs in Massachusetts later became a model for other states. The ways in which bilingual programs are implemented by the different states differ greatly.
    One of the most common models of bilingual education in the United States is called transitional bilingual education. In this kind of program, students learn ESL while taking all their other classes in their native language. Students must stop taking class in their native language after some period of time, usually three years. After the three-year time limit, students start taking all their classes in English only. The reasoning for this model is that native language classes should serve as a transition to English. The main goal of a transitional program is to teach students English as quickly as possible.
    Another kind of program is called maintenance bilingual education. Maintenance programs do not have the same time limit as transitional programs do. (3) Students can continue taking content-area classes in their native language for as long as they need to or want to. The idea behind a maintenance program is that a child’s native language is worth maintaining and developing. In fact, research has shown that students who know their first language well will be more successful in learning how to read and write a second language. (4)0ne of the problems with maintenance programs is that they are more expensive than transitional programs.
    Two-way bilingual education is a program which offers second language instruction to students whose native language is English, while at the same time providing ESL to students who speak a language other than English. For example, English-speaking students might take courses in Spanish while Spanish-speaking students take ESL classes. Both groups would continue to take their other content courses in their native language. In some classes, students may work together using both languages. (5)The purpose of two-way bilingual education programs is to make all students bilingual.
    Finally, there is immersion bilingual education. In these programs, students take all-English courses for a year or two before they begin to take courses in their native language. In other words, they are immersed in English for the first year or two. Research has not shown that this kind of approach is more effective than the other models already described. Many students feel overwhelmed during the first two years. (6) While struggling to learn English, they lost valuable time that should be spent learning important concepts in math and science.
    Bilingual education is based on principles that promote the acquisition of English in the best possible manner. It assures continual development of the students’ intelligence and academic growth and the acquisition of English. The students’ development does not need to stop until enough English is available for academic growth.
    Bilingual education has always been and continues to be a controversial subject. It is controversial for a variety of reasons. Some people fear or worry that a language other than English is given some attention. (9)The history of "English-only" politics dates back to the early days of the country. Some people are angered by the freedom with which today’s newcomers speak their native tongue in public. Some critics argue that bilingual education places an unfair burden on schools, and that taxpayers’ money should not be spent teaching immigrants in their native language. They reason that all people in the United States should have to read, write, and speak English. In addition, they point out that bilingual programs haven’t always been successful in producing literate bilingual students.
    Many people in favor of bilingual education agree that some bilingual programs are better than others, though not all of them are successful. However, research has proven that students who learn well in their first language will learn how to read and write a second language more easily. In addition, students who learn important concepts in math and science in their native language will be able to understand these concepts much more easily when they move into all-English courses. Some supporters of bilingual education argue that the real reason that critics are opposed to these programs is that these programs really work. (10)Bilingual proponents say that critics of bilingual education don’t really want immigrants to be successful at school.
    The controversy over bilingual education continues. In 1998, a law was passed in California that made bilingual education against the law. According to this law,teachers are not allowed to teach students in any language other than English. Students who speak a language other than English are allowed to take one year of ESL. After that,they must take all their course in regular English.
    It is not clear yet what the effects of the new law in California will be. Some states are waiting to see what will happen next in California; others are already putting forward similar laws. Whatever happens, bilingual education will certainly continue to be controversial. That’s all for today’s lecture. Thank you.