Should Bilingual Education Be Taught In Schools

“Of the 281 million people age 5 and older in the United States in 2007, 55.4 million individuals — or 20 percent — reported speaking a language other than English at home.” (Newsroom) As the number of non-English speaking people in our country increases there is also a debate going on as well. This debate is over whether American Schools should offer a bilingual education to accommodate these people or not. “Bilingual Education is the practice of teaching non-English speaking children in their native language, while they are learning English.”(Bilingual Education) In “The Achievement of Desire”, Rodriguez writes about his experiences growing up as a Mexican-American student and the toll that it took on his life. Bilingual education may be a sensitive topic, but in “The Achievement of Success” Rodriguez makes it clear that an English education is what made him succeed and this is why it is so important to get an English Education. In “The Achievement of Success”, Rodriguez talks about his mother telling him how important education is and going on to talk about a time when she told him to “Get all the education you can.”(Rodriguez, 344) His mother considered schooling to be the key to job advancement. The benefits of speaking English in this country just cannot be overstated or denied. Despite efforts by some commercial, governments and educational entities to accommodate Spanish speakers, most of this country’s business is conducted in English, and if you cannot participate you are at a tremendous disadvantage.” (Social Issues, 41) Rodriguez’s mother wants him to learn as much as he can in his English speaking schools, because she knows that in order to succeed in America you have to know the language that for the most part eve... ... middle of paper ... ...illiam D. 10 Things Employers Want You to Learn in College: The Know-how You Need to Succeed. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed, 2003. Print. "Debate Over Best Way to Teach Non-English Speaking Students." CNS News. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. . "Newsroom." New Census Bureau Report Analyzes Nation's Linguistic Diversity. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. Oller, D. Kimbrough., and Rebecca E. Eilers. Language and Literacy in Bilingual Children. Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters, 2002. Print. Osborn, Terry A. Language and Cultural Diversity in U.S. Schools: Democratic Principles in Action. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2005. Print. Rodriguez, Richard. "The Achievement of Sucess." Ways of Reading: An Anthology for Writers. By David Bartholomae. S.l.: Bedford Bks St Martin'S, 2014. N. pag. Print.