I have posted several blogs in the past about the English Only legislature. Take a look at this MSNBC video, and let us know what you think about bilingual education and English immersion programs. On another matter, do you think Spanish should be a required subject in schools for all students? What do you think should be done about statistics that suggest that 25% of our students soon will have Spanish as their first language. How should we be teaching these students in our schools? Should both English and Spanish both be used in schools where a high percentage of students speak Spanish as their first language? How does the video help you understand the intricacies of the current legislature regarding English only?
14 comments:
English only! Please, we should be preparing our students for the future and our global world. By the year 2025, one of every four students in the classroom will have Latino roots, and their education is tied to the future of the United State's economy. Currently the Latino drop-out rate is 50% and "No Child Left Behind" legislation does not mandate an English only curriculum. This legislation simply states that Hispanic students need to achieve certain results and each State's Department of Education will decide how to best achieve this. After 14 years of working with Hispanics for a large discount retailer, I can tell you that Hispanics are proud, close-knit families who want to preserve both the Spanish language and their cultural traditions. Instead of fighting these facts why not embrace them and support a strong dual language program for all students' futures and for the future of The United States.
English only! Please, we should be preparing our students for the future and our global world. By the year 2025, one of every four students in the classroom will have Latino roots, and their education is tied to the future of the United State's economy. Currently the Latino drop-out rate is 50% and "No Child Left Behind" legislation does not mandate an English only curriculum. This legislation simply states that Hispanic students need to achieve certain results and each State's Department of Education will decide how to best achieve this. After 14 years of working with Hispanics for a large discount retailer, I can tell you that Hispanics are proud, close-knit families who want to preserve both the Spanish language and their cultural traditions. Instead of fighting these facts why not embrace them and support a strong dual language program for all students' futures and for the future of The United States.
While it seems likely that one in four students by the year 2025 will have Latino roots, education should remain individualized and "prescribed" for the student. Teachers need to take whatever route that will achieve results. They are the specialists that have been put in charge of this challenge and we should trust their choice. I do feel, however, that this does not include English-only education. If I went to a foreign country to live/learn the culture of that country, I would hope that my primary language would be used to accomplish this. While I do feel that Spanish should be used with Latino students in order to assist in learning the required material, it should also be used to learn the English language. It's important to remember however that while Latinos make-up much of the minority percentage, there are many other cultures that need to be recognized/studied in the classroom as well. This is the country we live in.
The argument here is not a difficult one at all: "...their education is tied to the future of our countries productivity...". It is said to believe that in 2025 one in four U.S. kids will be Hispanic. Therefore the idea of creating a bilingual education for the public schools, will benefit our nation. It was mentioned that Hispanic students learn English much easier when they are put in bilingual classrooms. Students are then immersed in two languages encouraging the students to succeed that much more in the world. The No Child Left Behind Act doesn't want to give the schools the way in which to teach, however they are stating that schools better get results in which concludes to the Act. The question we were answering as a nation has changed; we are now answering to the twenty-first question, "How do we best educate our students?"
I agree that, personally, there is no debate. If we have a mix of Hispanic and Caucasian children, we need to teach to both cultural groups. The thing that I think people are overlooking is that learning another language can only improve a child's learning career, not be detrimental. I am jealous of those who are in dual language programs and wish I was exposed to that at an early age. Creating an environment with two languages will only increase the comfort and sense of community within a classroom. This way, more students are understood and every child in the classroom has similar goals. When only English is being taught, Hispanic students are being left out. While teachers are beginning to be educated on how to best support ELL students, not enough teachers either practice their knowledge or have enough. A 50% dropout rate should not be acceptable in this country.
I really enjoyed the comments made by the man at the end of the segment (forgive me, I forget his name). He says that the debate is not about whether or not to have bilingual education, but rather how to best educate these students. I really appreciate this approach. It moves the debate away from cultures and which one is more accepted/useful and focuses the issue on the student. I have had the fortune of observing and helping in a bilingual classroom last summer. I've mentioned this school in other discussion posts, but it was at the Multicultural Magnet School in New London, CT. This class was a summer class, which was taught entirely in Spanish. The impressive thing about this classroom was that only about 15-20% of these students were native Spanish speakers. The rest of the children were Caucasian, African-American, and Asian. The children ranged from 1st-3rd grade and all of them understood Spanish, to varying degrees. It was amazing to see this idea in real life and it changed the way I see education. I fully support the idea of bilingual education and think that students can only benefit from this change. Due to my experience in this classroom, I hope I am able to student teach in this school and see children, and myself, flourish under these circumstances.
As an immigrant I know how hard is to learn another language. Based in my experience, now I feel the advantages of become a bilingual speaker. It took me a big effort but, it is worth it. About the statistics that shows the video, we need to take action now about this matter or we will regret in the future. I agree with Jen when she mentions that a 50% drop out rate should not be acceptable in this country. In my opinion the legislations about education should do it educators rather than politicians. Maybe by this way we can answer Amy’s question about how do we best educate our students?
As a world language teacher it might seem alittle Biase that I things really need to change in the US and in our classroom. The year 2025 is just around the corner and we all need to see it and do something about it. I do not think that in the next 25 - 30 years that the offical language of the US will be Spanish but it will be the second langauge spoken in the United States. The answer is not only in teaching ESl students but also taking our native english speaker and have them learn many langauges. European children learned two other languages before they finish high school and we in the US should have it a graduation requirement to graduate high school and at thier universities. Many people in this country are missing a great opportunity to explore and be emmersed in amazing languages and cultures that spand the wonderful world.
I know three languages and so many doors have opened for me that I do no how I could have experienced what I have experience without doing so. I wish that all can feel how I do about languages and go and openm doors for themselves.
The information presented in the MSNBC video is eye-opening, to say the least. I, personally, have found the concept of bilingual education to be interesting, necessary, and refreshing. The opening remarks in the video note that many people believe that bilingual education is only an issue in certain regions of the country. Little do they know that it is an issue that is creeping up everywhere! In a presentation that I did in a course last semester on "Teaching Students from Many Nations," I found that the facts in Connecticut alone are astounding. For instance, at West-Middle Elementary School in Hartford, there are students from 18 different countries who speak 14 different languages. Forty-three percent of the students in the Hartford school district live in households where English is not the primary language. Further, 14 percent of students are not fluent in English. At the Parkville Community School in Hartford, there are 66 non-English home languages used, and nearly 30 percent of the students are not fluent in English. If this sounds appalling--think of how much more appalling it sounds to say "English Only" where so few children are able to speak English!
If we acknowledge that by the year 2025, one-quarter of all students will have Hispanic or Latino roots, and we aspire to educate all children, then we must accept that we have a great responsibility that cannot be accomplished with just English. To limit ourselves to English is to limit our future. Even now, as the Latino dropout rate is at a heart-wrenching 50 percent, we have a responsibility. This responsibility is in our own backyard.
The argument made by Ron Unz, the man behind the English-Only Education Initiative, is obsolete and faulty at best. He claims in the video that the results using English only are better, as "shown by test scores." However, since his English-only initiative began, the dropout rate of students struggling with the English language increased by two-times the previous rate. This indicates to me that we are failing a large--and growing--number of students in our nation. I won't even begin to refute his claim regarding test scores--since the validity of standardized testing is a whole other issue itself.
I think it stands that there should be no debate as to whether to use, or continue to use, bilingual education. It is necessary, and it will guarantee a brighter future for so many more students.
The information presented in the MSNBC video is eye-opening, to say the least. I, personally, have found the concept of bilingual education to be interesting, necessary, and refreshing. The opening remarks in the video note that many people believe that bilingual education is only an issue in certain regions of the country. Little do they know that it is an issue that is creeping up everywhere! In a presentation that I did in a course last semester on "Teaching Students from Many Nations," I found that the facts in Connecticut alone are astounding. For instance, at West-Middle Elementary School in Hartford, there are students from 18 different countries who speak 14 different languages. Forty-three percent of the students in the Hartford school district live in households where English is not the primary language. Further, 14 percent of students are not fluent in English. At the Parkville Community School in Hartford, there are 66 non-English home languages used, and nearly 30 percent of the students are not fluent in English. If this sounds appalling--think of how much more appalling it sounds to say "English Only" where so few children are able to speak English!
If we acknowledge that by the year 2025, one-quarter of all students will have Hispanic or Latino roots, and we aspire to educate all children, then we must accept that we have a great responsibility that cannot be accomplished with just English. To limit ourselves to English is to limit our future. Even now, as the Latino dropout rate is at a heart-wrenching 50 percent, we have a responsibility. This responsibility is in our own backyard.
The argument made by Ron Unz, the man behind the English-Only Education Initiative, is obsolete and faulty at best. He claims in the video that the results using English only are better, as "shown by test scores." However, since his English-only initiative began, the dropout rate of students struggling with the English language increased by two-times the previous rate. This indicates to me that we are failing a large--and growing--number of students in our nation. I won't even begin to refute his claim regarding test scores--since the validity of standardized testing is a whole other issue itself.
I think it stands that there should be no debate as to whether to use, or continue to use, bilingual education. It is necessary, and it will guarantee a brighter future for so many more students.
Years ago, before a trip to Mexico, I took a 3 hour class to "learn Spanish." It was an immersion class and the teacher used manipulative(s) and graphic organizers to help us understand what she was talking about. (Strategies that benefit all of students in our classrooms). Also, I had the added benefit of having fellow classmates to help with translation of the covered material. Reflecting upon my experience, it was exhausting, and illuminating as to how beneficial both the manipulative(s) and the peer collaboration aided in my comprehension. What other strategies can we incorporate in order to facilitate understanding for our diverse population?
The reality is such that Hispanics are not a small minority in this country any longer and that the children are to receive an education that is appropriate for them . The movement of English Only is not realistic, not humane and does not reflect on many research that implies that the bilingual child does indeed learn better English in full immersion programs. Respect and aknowledgement for their own language is a must for their integration in the american educational system and society
While I think that is it benefitial for students to be exposed to bilingual programs and take advantage of learning languages while in school; I think that bilingual education would not work for some. As an ELL Instructor at a school and having gone through the experience of being an ELL student during my high school years, I think that the 'English Only'argument would not work for this generation of students. Learning a languge is hard so why not let kids have the chance to learn two at the same time and be productive in the future.
This is very tricky debate for me. I have family who have immigrated from Costa Rica and they themselves have always stressed how important it is for them to learn English as soon as possible and as quickly as possible. I myself, understand how important and critical it is for English to be spoken in America. However, I also respect and understand that the very basis of our country is an immigrant population!
This is what makes America the best country in the world. We are a melting pot of all cultures! It is important for immigrants to learn English, but I feel American's need to be more respectful in the way we "push" it on our students.
Many students are excited and willing to learn English, but at times feel ashamed of their own culture and begin to push away their families because of how much our school systems force English upon them. (Almost giving them the message that their culture is wrong!)
Full submersion no doubt is the quickest way to learn any language, but the American Education system needs to be respectful of everyone's culture and background before stripping many children away of whats left of their identity.
Bilingual education is absolutely the wave of the future. There will soon be more native Spanish speakers in this country than native English speakers. Also there is evidence in order to improve second language literacy, first language literacy has to be improved first. English only is a conservative tactic to appeal to people who are afraid of the future. This country has always been a nation of immigrants and we need to embrace our diversity instead of seeing it as a problem.
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