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Speaking of Learning: Bilingual Education
The Issue
There is a perennial tension between those who view America as a great melting pot with a common national identity and those who view it as a mosaic of peoples with their own customs and culture. American public schools have been host to this tension and its manifestations in education policy.
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The major issue is one of language. Many school districts formally adopted bilingual education in the 1960s and 70s. However, bilingual education and even native language schooling has been a major facet of education in the United States since the very beginning. Today the debate focuses on one question: Should immigrant children be instructed entirely in English or should they be taught |
| academic subjects in their native tongue while gradually learning English? |
The Debate
Supporters of bilingual education believe that the school should build upon, rather than dismantle, the minority child’s language and culture. By teaching children academic subjects in their native tongue, while simultaneously offering them English language instruction, students can learn the language and continue to progress academically. Once they have mastered enough English, they can transition to mainstream classes.
Critics of bilingual education, however, argue that it inhibits a child’s ability to acquire English quickly. They believe that in order to succeed in America, children need to master the language and values of the dominant culture. Critics often rely on the “sink or swim” method of language acquisition, saying it will help foreign students to best pick up the language.
The Bilingual Education Timeline
Roots in History Master Timeline
View video on the controversial topic of Bilingual Education
Other Roots in History Issues:
Choosing or Losing? The School Choice Controversy
Measuring Up: Tests, Curriculum, and Standards
Back to Roots in History home page |
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