| Social Issues in Second Language Education In many cases, the availability and type of second language education which parents and students can choose in a district will depend on several different factors: the cost of educating Limited English Proficiency learners and number of people needing the services are the main ones on the surface, but the truth is there are other social forces at work which can have even more influence on how LEP children are educated. LEP students and their families entering a new school district can expect to meet with problems coming from the schools, the community and even the government itself. At a school level, LEP students are often separated into special wings of the school or even sometimes special schools where they are taught with other LEP students and kept away from the general student population. This is often required by the student's special needs, but it also creates a situation where they are viewed as "outsiders" by the school community and limits their ability to participate in school activities. This even extends to the LEP teachers, who often have special training or can even be bilingual, and are viewed with jealousy or envy by their fellow teachers. Special education teachers and especially bilingual teachers are hard to find and paid well for what they do, which can make other teachers feel somehow left behind. As well, many LEP programs are paid for by the Federal or State government which gives them special equipment and facilities that only they can use, creating a bigger gap between them and other teachers. Especially in poorer schools where every dollar counts, second language education programs are often disliked because they're viewed by teachers and parents as taking away from the local available money, although that has not traditionally been the case. At a community level, the reaction to LEP students and their families will often depend on who the strongest group in the community is and how they feel about their own ability to keep that strength. If the strongest social group is secure in their power and they know there's no risk of losing anything to the newcomers then they will usually be very open and accepting of LEP students and the programs they need. But, if the dominant social group feels that they are in danger of losing their power because of newcomers then they will be extremely against special services for LEP students. They will want the LEP students to become like them as quickly as possible, and will only accept types of education which don't allow the newcomers to keep their own language or culture. Because the School Boards of most schools and districts are made up of members of the local community, the policies of the school boards will reflect the desires of the communities and put pressure on the principals of the individual schools to go along with their preferences. At a governmental level, both Federal and State governments in the United States are wrestling with the issue of multiculturalism and the question of what America will be in the future. There are many people in power who feel that English is the only language people living in America should be speaking, and that learning English is the duty of every American citizen (California, for example, has made this law.). They believe that allowing people to speak other languages creates social problems and divides the country, and that only through joining into the culture of mainstream America can immigrants help to make America stronger. While in the past the government was more accepting of a multicultural and bilingual concept of America, the current feeling of the American government is clearly that of one language and one people. Even in the current No Child Left Behind Act's Title III English Language Acquisition Act there is no mention of the word "bilingualism" and school districts are rewarded for getting children to speak English as quickly as possible. Back to Main Page... |