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Advantages of bilingualism in a classroom
Advantages of bilingualism in a classroom
Bilingual education provides instruction in both the students'native
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Not being of Hispanic or Latino descent, one can only wonder what it would be like paving the way for others to follow. Meanwhile, migrating to a state like Florida can be very challenging. After all, Florida is diverse and is considered a melting pot state, along with the influx of different origins of nationalities, there are different arrays of celebration of music, dance and food. Many people that come to the United States are comfortable speaking their own language and will refuse to speak the American language which is English. In some instances, in the work environment being able to speak both languages (Spanish and English) can be beneficial and conducive. Therefore, being Bilingual can be an access for the individual.
When a baby is born, he/she comes into this world eager to learn. Always taking in information and absorbing it like a new computer. Every experience he/she encounters could possibly stick in that baby’s mind. However, some of the things that a child hears or perceives can either benefit or corrupt their learning. Teaching a child a second language has the same concept as putting in new software in a computer. Many advantages come with a safe and powerful computer and the same would come with knowing a second language. If a child was not taught a second language in their early years, that child might be at a disadvantage in their future, and as that child grows up not knowing a second language could potentially hold him/her back with grades and obtaining a job. Knowing a second language can benefit from those things and can also help with keeping strong ties with their family, culture, community, and even music.
Because of internalized racism, Latinos and Hispanics distance themselves from the Spanish language to support the English only movement. They are embarrassed of their inherited language and rather choose English to complete assimilation. “Almost 40% of Latino/a respondents prefer English as their dominant language…” (Padilla 20). Where I currently live, I always see on the day to day basis Hispanics and Latinos that immigrated to the United States from other countries sounding “white.”
Richard Rodriguez, the author of Aria, develops a personal intake and personal experience on the topic of bilingual education. He uses different rhetorical devices throughout his essay, which include juxtapositions and antithesis. In paragraph 5 of the essay, Rodriguez states that “…it is not possible for a child—any child—ever to use his family’s language in school. Not to understand this is to misunderstand the public uses of schooling and to trivialize the nature of intimate life – a family’s ‘language,”( Rodriguez, Paragraph 5). Rodriguez cultivates this claim by explaining the purpose or the definition of bilingual education and what this education is meant to accomplish. The definition of bilingual education is,”…a program that seeks to permit non- English speaking children…to use their family language as the language of school,” (Rodriguez, Paragraph 5).
Bilingualism is often at the helm of immigration and multiculturalism in Canada. According to author Eve Haque, who wrote “The Bilingual Limits of Canadian Multiculturalism: The Politics of Language and Race” in Critical Inquires: A Reader in Studies of Canada, there have been bilingual constraints placed on the country’s multiculturalism policies. Haque’s piece provides an interesting perspective, which focuses on how bilingualism has negatively framed the development of multiculturalism in Canada. This paper will provide a counter to this claim, as bilingualism is encompassed within multiculturalism. It provides a base for development in a country that has become abundant in ethnic diversity and has consequently undergone policy changes to both reflect and maintain an all-encompassing society. This can be seen through the genealogy, history, and construction of the Royal Commission of Bilingualism and Biculturalism (RCBB) and its findings, which reflect a bilingual binary necessary for dynamic multicultural nation that is Canada.
Currently in the United States, about one in four, or twenty-six percent, of American adults can speak a language other than English (McComb). To be bilingual means to possess the ability to speak two languages, and a society that implements a bilingual approach is one that adapts means of everyday life, ranging from street signs to education, to the inevitabilities of more than one language. The United States is in debate on whether or not to adopt Spanish in conjunction with all English communication. In my opinion, to assume a bilingual society would create a separation in our country with two competing languages. There are multiple perspectives on the issue and to accurately form an opinion requires consideration of numerous aspects. The decision to undertake Spanish alongside English in all facets in the United States should be constructed on bilingual history, statistics, legal implications, supportive and defensive arguments, education dynamics, cultural factors, and the necessary provisions to our current society needed to implement such a system.
The most common approach in California is “transitional” bilingual education, in which students often spend more time being taught in their native language than in English for their first school years. Due to the large population of Spanish speakers in California, I would think that educators would want to mock Miami’s style of teaching both English and Spanish. In Miami, educators view it differently than they do in California. They look at bilingual education as a business opportunity for students. Miami’s trades with Latin America amount to billions of dollars a year.
In the United States, it is important for a person to speak English fluently because it is the official language in America and everybody communicates in English. Many people believe that English should be the only language in America and that sometimes people may face prejudice when they speak English with an accent. For some parents, the fear of prejudice makes them decided not to teach their children their native tongue. On the other hand, there are many other reasons why some parents want to teach their children their native tongue. Gabriela Kuntz explains in My Spanish Standoff why she did not allow her children to speak Spanish at home. Kuntz’s explanations are acceptable, but some research studies reveal that most young children can learn two or more languages. Also, many researchers say that children can learn a second language faster than adults.
Officially, Hawaii practices bilingualism with English and Native Hawaiian as the two official languages. As many of you probably know, there very few Native Hawaiian speakers. Unofficially, Hawaii is practices multilingualism which speakers coming from many different languages that include, Japanese, Filipino, and Spanish. In regards to me, I’m not sure if I’m bilingual. I know both English and Japanese, but I’m not so good at Japanese that I can carry out a full conversation.
TEKS stands for Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. Before TEKS, it was named Essential Elements (EEs). The idea for EEs was to give every student the opportunity to learn. In 1998, the State Board of Education adopted TEKS for every student should be able to do in every grade level subjects. TEKS is divided by thirteen chapters, then the chapters are divided into subchapters. The thirteen chapters are English Language Arts and Reading, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Language Other Than English, Health Education, Physical Education, Fine Arts, Economics with Emphasis on the Free Enterprise System and its Benefits, Technology Applications, Career Development, Spanish Language
Throughout the experiences I have been through, such as meeting proud Latin kids in school and reading about the experiences of other Latinos, I am proud to say that I am Puerto Rican. I will teach the future generation about our culture, including traditions and customs. My children may not have the opportunity to read about well-known Latinos in school, but I will make sure they learn about prominent scholars, such as Jose Marti and Rigoberta Menchu. Also, speaking Spanish is very important because our culture is based on the language. After all, one day the official language of Puerto Rico might change to English. However, we can't forget our roots, or where we came from. Even though I was born in America, I am Puerto Rican.
The article Bilingual Education in the United States is about how we should expand our language programs to not just force non-English speakers to speak English, but for English speakers to become bilingual as well (Gándara, 2016). Robinson’s article, is about how to handle issues with linguistic diversity in the classroom (2011). One of the things that stood out to me the most was the story of a girl named Deja and how she had to deal with linguistic bullying (Robinson, 2011). It was eye opening to me that this is real type of bullying that students face every day! I now see how speaking to a student privately to give positive suggestions is a much better option. Speaking of the errors out loud only ignites the torment the student may be
Bilingual education, as an educational program, was initially promoted by educators in the seventies (Hunger of Memory 26) and since then has been a topic of many debates in America. Some argue that bilingual education only serves as a detriment to American culture. Others argue that bilingual education is beneficial to those who come to live in America and want to become a part of the culture, but lack proficiency in the English language. Two authors, who have each taken opposite sides of the debate on bilingual education in America, are: Richard Rodriguez and Ariel Dorfman. Richard Rodriguez believes that bilingual education creates a feeling of separateness between foreign language speakers and American society; therefore, bilingual education delays the formation of a public identity. In contrast, Ariel Dorfman argues that bilingualism in America will be a bridge to better understanding other cultures. I assume the position of being neither, against or entirely in favor of bilingual education. I am in favor of bilingual education because it can be an effective segue to learning the English language and I believe it is very important to remain connected with our family’s language and culture. However, I also recognize the negative feeling of separateness from the larger public that bilingual education can have on foreign language speaking families, which hinders my ability to fully embrace bilingual education.
We live in a nation where our neighbors differentiate in race, ethnicity, religious belief, occupation, socioeconomic status, and even the language(s) they speak. In a progressively inclusive world, our tongues are divided by many languages, yet united under one nation, America. Being bilingual is known to many as someone who speaks two languages, and a polyglot as one who speaks multiple. In reality, we call someone who only speaks one language “Americans.” Though many languages are used in the United States, monolingualism is present among many citizens. Dubbed the name, “melting pot,” due to its increasing immigration, our nation assimilates to the various religions, cultures, and languages of the people. With the immigration population
“Children’s brains are primed for the necessary language skill developments in a way that adults’ aren’t. Many of the advantages described here will show up most strongly if you start bilingualism in your child’s early age (the earlier – the better!). Adults can acquire the same skills and strengths through bilingual training, but it happens much more slowly (how much spare time do we have in our busy adult lives?) and with a greater need for tedious repetition.
“Learning a second language not only has cognitive and academic benefits, it also supports a greater sense of openness to, and appreciation for, other cultures” (Tochen, 2009). For many students in the United States, English is not the primary language spoken at home. There are several options for getting these children to reach proficiency in the English Language. However, there is only one model that preserves the child’s first language, while also gaining literacy in English. This model is Bilingual Education. Bilingual education is not new to the United States. It in fact started in 1968 under title VII. However, there is still a lot for the general public, and parents of language learners, to learn about this form of education. Bilingual