Persuasive Essay On Bilingual Education

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In previous years the debate over bilingual education tended to focus more on the feasibility of educating English language learners in an English-only or dual language environment. However, in more recent years the focus has begun to shift towards how English language learners should be taught and with what tools. With information technology becoming more widespread, of course technology in the classroom is now a topic ripe with possibilities and the term multimedia is now widely heard in schools. Information in printed form has long been the traditional method for introducing concepts and lessons within the school system. However, education is now moving away from books into the world of technology as a way to increase learning activity. …show more content…

In bilingual classrooms across America, teachers use whiteboards, LCD projectors and the internet to engage learners. Educational videos, such as those on the Discovery Education website, are a great way to reinforce or supplement curriculum when concepts seem to fall short. It is easier for English language learners to understand literary concepts, for instance character, plot and setting, by viewing a Charlie Chaplin video than by struggling through a more complex textbook where up to 75 percent of the vocabulary could be new to the student. Additionally, watching a video requires the teacher to pause several times for discussion and note taking.
Another internet favorite among bilingual and ELL teachers is Google Image®. English language learners are highly visual learners and Google Image® provides a wealth of images for almost any topic a teacher could imagine. For instance, a teacher who is discussing diversity might have students volunteer to name their home countries and use Google Image® to show that country’s flag. Google Image® can also be used for comparisons or to build content vocabulary; teachers can type in the word seal and see how many different visual renderings for the word seal are shown (animal versus family

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