Cite the arguments for and against bilingual education

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Proponents make several arguments in support of bilingual education (Crawford, 2007; Tong et al, 2008). First, they contend the programs make sense with respect to learning because they provide a smooth and humane transition to English by building on students' first languages. They also argue that being able to speak two languages has practical benefits; a bilingual person can live and communicate in two worlds, which can increase economic and career opportunities. They also cite research. One review concluded that existing evidence favors bilingual approaches versus English immersion approaches in helping students learn to read (Slavin & Cheung, 2005). Further research indicates that knowledge and skills acquired in a native language are "transferable" to the second language, providing students with a better understanding of the role of language in communication and how language works (Guglielmi, 2008). Proponents of bilingual education also contend that immersion programs place unrealistic language demands on learners. They note that conversational English, such as that spoken in the lunchroom and on the playground, is learned quite quickly, but the cognitively demanding language needed for academic success is learned much more slowly (Peregoy & Boyle, 2013). Critics of bilingual education attack it on several grounds. They contend that it is: divisive, encouraging groups of non-native English speakers to remain separate from mainstream American culture; ineffective, slowing the process of acquiring English for ELL students; and, inefficient, requiring expenditures for the training of bilingual teachers and materials that could be better spent on quality monolingual programs (U.S. English, 2014). Critics also cite their own research. For instance, one California school district reported that standardized test scores for students in the early grades—those most affected by the move from bilingual to immersion programs—improved from the 35th to the 45th percentile after students spent just 1 year in an immersion program, and additional research found similar positive results across California