How to Give American Students a Billingual Education

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Imagine what Christopher Columbus first said when stepping on American soil. Perhaps he said: “This land holds great promise.” Whatever he said the more fascinating question to ponder centers around what language did he speak, for Christopher Columbus, a multi-linguist, knew Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. So what happened to the diversity of languages in this land of promise? Many foreigners contribute to the melting pot of America, bringing their culture and language, yet American schools continue to teach just one language in today’s society. The heated debate among parents, educators, and politicians over a multilingual education in the United States began in the late nineteenth century. Over the next sixty years many crucial cases, mandates, and laws passed through America’s judicial system, bouncing back and forth between supporting and opposing bilingualism. Bilingual education in today’s United States remains inadequate as most students might have the chance to learn a second language for only one or two years in high school, depending on if the school provides such programs. However, many states have taken interest to improve bilingual education and overcome the financial issues. Two-way bilingual immersion(TWBI), a program teaching students a native language and a foreign, provides the best option. The program’s unique integrating of curriculums allows students to surpass their English-only peers, expanding and utilizing their brains more efficiently while experiencing the world they live in more fully. Despite financial obstacles and a traditional educational mindset, all American schools from Kindergarten through Eight grade should integrate a two-way bilingual immersion program. The dispute of bilingual educati... ... middle of paper ... ...uroscientist Brian Gold’s study on seniors sixty to sixty eight, he discovered that bilinguals brains function more efficiently than monolingual brains as the bilingual brains use less energy and the strength of the bilingual brain, despite old age, also set off dementia for 4.1 years and Alzheimer for 5.1 years (Kluger). By knowing another language, the brain remains healthy and “fit” just as if a person exercises their body. In the Stroop test, where people must quickly read only the color of the word whether the color matches the word or not, results indicate that bilinguals can continue the test on longer and with fewer mistakes than monolinguals (Kluger). This signifies bilinguals’ better flexibility, when answering rapidly, and decision making, when answering correctly. The neurological benefits translates into a more well-prepared student to face the world.

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