Bilingual Education in American Schools Essay -- Argumentative Persuas

Suppose your child has been moved to China. Your child does not speak Chinese; is it the school system's responsibility to teach your child in English? Or should your child be expected to learn in the country's language and perhaps get extra help on the side? Why should a school district spend money on bilingual classes rather than on reducing class sizes? In the United States of America we have become a large melting pot of ethnic and cultural peoples. Along with these peoples have come many different languages and alphabets. However the US has been seen as a mostly English speaking country. Yet many of this country's newcomers do not speak English. Adults and children alike come into the US speaking and writing only their native tongue. This poses a huge gap in communication. If the adults are unable to teach their children English, then it becomes the school districts' responsibility. However to make learning easier on the child, many school districts choose to teach the child in their native language, while they receive English lessons on the side. The debate now is whether there is sufficient studies proving the effectiveness of Bilingual education and the need to continue it in many states. In 1998 Los Angeles County passed Proposition 227 to create bilingual education programs. (LA Times October 23.1998) Because of the passing of this bill many students were left in limbo waiting for teaching plans to be made. As well as the budget to be reformed to accommodate the extra expenses of a bilingual education programs, books, and to hire the proper teachers and aids to assists in the new bilingual classes. Often there are only a few children in a classroom being taught in their native language whil... ...etter spent in helping all children attending schools. Teachers who want to teach should not be discriminated against for their English only abilities and all the students in a classroom need to be given an equal chance to succeed. Works Cited: "A Boomtown Of Education", L.A Times, May, 25th 1998 (Front Page) http://www.onenation.org/0598/052598c.html A Mass News Exclusive "Bilingual Education in Massachusetts": A Troubled Program. http://www.massnews.com/sch13.htm "Hundreds Wait for Bilingual education", L.A Times Oct. 23, 1998 http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~cmmr/NEWS/L.A.Times_Oct23.html Padilla, Amado.   "Bilingual Education: Issues and Perspectives." From Community to College, New York, St. Martin's Press 1992 PBS Online Forum "Language and Education" Sep. 29, 1997 http://www.pbs.org/newshour/forum/september97/bilingual_9-29.html