Bilingual Education Is a Method

Bilingual Education is a method of teaching that employs more than one language and is designed for students whose native language is not English. There are two different models of Bilingual Education; one uses both languages for instruction, and the other uses mostly English, but will fall back on the students' native language to help clarify points to help them understand the concepts clearly.

This kind of teaching model is of particular concern in the southwestern states such as California, Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico because of the larger population of Spanish immigrants. The main argument against Bilingual Education is that it has the potential to keep non-native speakers from developing their skills in English quickly enough.

Consequently, if the non-native speaker is delayed in developing their English language skills then they will continue to fall behind in their education because they will not have the skills to pursue all the educational avenues that are open to native-speakers. Basically, since the majority of these children live and play in environments that speak their native language, their only opportunity for exposure to the English language is at school.

When that one opportunity is taken away for the student to practice the language they are learning then their ability to learn the language is lowered. Additionally, the longer the student has to wait to learn the second language, the less likely they will develop any real proficiency in it. The main argument to keep Bilingual Education in the schools is to promote a solid sense of culture in a growing minority population. Since there is no official language in the United States, forcing any population to speak one.