| The Future of Second Language Education in America In the year 2000, foreign born citizens made up roughly 11% of the Population of the United States, with their children making up 18.4% of the population between 5 and 18 years of age. In 1980 those same children made up 9.6% of students in the United States, and in 1990 approximately 13.9% of the school-aged population of America was foreign born. (more information can be found here) So it's clear there is a rising need for second language education, but at the same time it is also clear there is a rising change in the social composition of the United States. America is not just a country of "black and white", but is now coming to encompass people from all language backgrounds and ethnicities. Diversity is a strength and an advantage, children who grow up knowing about different cultures and languages have a better understanding of the world and can better deal with change. They are more accepting of differences and less likely to be threatened by people who are different than they are. Different cultures bring different ideas and points of view, and these bring with them new opportunities for artistic, social, economic and cultural development. America has traditionally been described as a "melting pot", where everything comes together to make a stronger whole, and these peoples of the world can help to make America strong with their presence. Given the evidence so far, Bilingual education would be the best route for the education system to use when teaching LEP students. It produces bilingual and bicultural students who are capable to operating in both America and the larger world to make America a stronger economic and political force. Bilingual education, which is currently the standard in only one State, Hawaii, is a way to bring the strengths of America and the benefits of new immigrants together into a single whole and should be encouraged. However, there are many in American society who believe that immigrants are a threat to the social order, and that letting them keep their ethnic identity will only make them separate from the rest of America. Because language is the key in many cases to ethnic identity, these strong forces in American society want the children of immigrants to learn English as quickly as possible so they can take away their ethnic identities and instead make them part of the greater American culture. They are not interested in bilingual education because that would preserve the differences between these children and mainstream Americans. These groups say they are helping the immigrants by making them into true Americans, and that it is only by giving up their other ethnic identities and languages that they can really become part of the middle and upper classes of American society. English is the language which is spoken in America, and therefore these newcomers need to be educated in English if they are to succeed. The whole goal of the American public education system has been to give equal opportunities to all students, and if they did not encourage students towards English they would not be giving them an equal chance in a land where the language of education is English. But, in a world where America's future is increasingly becoming connected to international relations and trade with other countries, is taking away the language skills of immigrants a way to make them more American or to take away what could be social advantages for them in the future? Multinational corporations need multinational employees and executives who can communicate with people from all over the world, and they work hard to find the best bilingual employees to help build up their global trade. American children who are educated in only one language or receive a small amount of language classes in High School cannot hope to compete with true bilingual students for these upcoming jobs. By taking away their bilingual skills, mainstream Americans are not helping immigrants, they are continuing to limit them to lives of poverty in America's streets. Bilingualism means increased opportunities and freedom, and ESL/Immersion programs mean the loss of opportunities and chances for immigrant children to rise to their full potential. Back to Main Page... |