Bilingual Education in the U.S

[Harold Schiffman]

Bilingual Education in the U.S.06Aug08

If your goal is to become fluent in another language, many times total
immersion is the best practice. However, this is not the case for
young recent immigrants in public schools because they also must
become proficient in the subject matter of instruction. This is where
bilingual education comes in.

Bilingual education and its alternatives have been up for political
and moral debate. Its proponents posit that mastering English,
literacy, and subject matter simultaneously is too overwhelming for
most students and that a combination of instruction in one's native
language and in English is necessary for success. Its detractors state
that bilingual education retards the mastery of English which in turn
retards students' acquisition of knowledge in all areas.

There are varying levels and approaches to bilingual education,
roughly broken into the following strategies:

Transitional: the goal is to transition English language learners into
English-only classrooms as quickly as possible and provides content
instruction in the student's native language while they learn English.
Two-Way or Dual Language: these programs are designed to teach both
native English and non-native English speaking students to be
bilingual and biliterate.
Specialized Dual Language: subjects are taught in the students' second
language with bilingual teachers who can field students' questions
when they need assistance in their native language. Literacy
instruction in students' native language is also provided separately.
Late-Exit or Developmental: Students are educated in their native
language for an extended period of time, complemented by education in
English.
The debate over bilingual education takes place within a larger
political and social context, which may be to the detriment of
students' acquisition of knowledge of both English and material in
content areas. Furthermore, while bilingual education might be
effective practice in areas of the country where there are fewer
native languages spoken, the system becomes unwieldy and impossible in
areas where immigrants come from all over the world.

For more resources on bilingual education, both for and against,
follow these links:

National Association for Bilingual Education

Twisted Tongues: The Failure of Bilingual Education

Issues in U.S. Language Policy: Bilingual Education

The Case Against Bilingual Education

California Association for Bilingual Education

The Bilingual Education Act: Twenty Years Later

Bilingual Education Research Controversy


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