Thus ultimately Espaillat's work could be considered as possibly the norm,
but not the only reaction for a child growing up in America in a Spanish
speaking household.
Bilingual/Bilingue touches on many aspects of bilingualism in America
and almost all are relevant today over sixty years after Espaillat
experienced a bilingual childhood herself. This is because the issues at
the heart of bilingualism cannot change over time, and although people's
opinions may change, the problems and possible outcomes of being bilingual
remain a constant. Bilingual/Bilingue is a poem about a personal
experience growing up in America in a Spanish household, and is a little
extraordinary in that the protagonist became an accomplished English
writer. Yet the themes, ideas, and notions present in it are reflective of
a multitude of issues involving bilingualism in America. Both research and
Espaillat's poem reflect the notion that bilingualism could be a hurdle,
but it is also something to be embraced. Not speaking English as a first
language can be overcome, and it is of course a good thing to have full
knowledge of another language as well. Specifically, in
Bilingual/Bilingue, and less specifically in all cases of a child from a
Spanish family learning English, language barriers are not entirely
restrictive. However, a child needs to be given the opportunity to learn a
second language, and it appears that efforts to teach children in their
native language are hindering such possible experiences. For instance,
although it is not documented, the viewpoint expressed in
Bilingual/Bilingue suggests that it is better...
Bilingual Education Predicting the effect of bilingual education on student outcomes with the work done by Huddy and Sears, "Opposition to Bilingual Education: Prejudice or the Defense of Realistic Interests?" is problematical. The authors investigated the bases for parental prejudice against bilingual education; they did not investigate in any detail what the educational outcomes might be for the children involved. They made only incidental reference to the possibility that Latino, African-American
Bilingual Education The first federal Bilingual Education Act (BEA) was signed into law in 1968. This study sought to determine what effects the BEA had on local and state school districts in California, some who had previously initiated programs to address the Limited English Speaking (LES) students who were becoming an integrated part of the educational system in California. The study is important to the proposed paper in that it shows
Bilingual Education in Los Angeles According to the Los Angeles Times articles, "Hundreds Wait for Bilingual Education," by Louis Sahagun and Nick Anderson (October 23, 1998), there are hundreds of students awaiting arrangements for bilingual classes; these students' parents have petitioned the Los Angeles (LA) school system to provide the resources and facilities their children need to learn the English language outside of total immersion classrooms. This article examines the impact
Bilingual Education America is a land of immigrants and has, therefore, always required bilingual education programs in some form or the other. In fact, bilingual education programs have existed in America since the late eighteenth century, when European immigrant children received educational instruction in their native languages. Recently, however, the issue of bilingual education appears to have grown somewhat contentious. This is evident by the initiatives taken by the States of
The factors affecting cost are numerous and not always easily identifiable; in addition to the purchasing of bilingual textbooks and other instructional supplies, there is often a perception that bilingual instruction leads to a greatly increased workload and number of class hours, and therefore a greater overall strain on the often-tight budgets of public education institutions and districts (Mora 2006). It is primarily the transitional costs, however, that many
In terms of efficacy, Krashen addresses the position that bilingual education is not as effective as suggested by its proponents. The evidence presented by this position is however not sufficiently convincing to make a substantial case for immersion programs as being superior to bilingual curricula. Krashen admits that there are still a number of problems associated with bilingual education that need to be addressed. The largest of these is the accessibility
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