Bilingual Education = Better Life for Immigrants in US

The immigrant population is growing at an exponential rate in the United States of America. More and more non—English-speaking families are progressing into our great nation every year. With such a high and constantly increasing amount of minorities in America, we must work to properly ingrate them into our society. This means immigrants must learn how to speak English in order to hold a valuable spot in our nation; and there is no better way for English learners to master the dominant language in America than bilingual education.

English is not the official language of the United States, but it is certainly the most spoken. We must teach immigrants the most widely used language in our country so that they may become a part of it. The thing is, without the extra help, English learners will be unable to fully acquire the language, and thus fall behind in their education, contributing to a statistical decline in our schools. We must change our education system to accommodate every student so that every student has an equal opportunity in our nation and the capability to succeed because student success affects us as a nation.

There have been several studies conducted that credit bilingual education as the key to immigrant success, as it helps them both succeed in the classroom and learn English. The immigrant population is only increasing. If we want a better future for the immigrants who have settled in America, as well as America itself, we must see bilingual education as the answer to success.

Get quality help now

Dr. Karlyna PhD

Verified

Proficient in: Bilingual Education

4.7 (235)

“ Amazing writer! I am really satisfied with her work. An excellent price as well. ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

Those who are against bilingual education often argue: “This is America! If immigrants want to live in our country they have to speak our language!” This may seem like a valid point, given that English is the leading language in America and it may be next to impossible to function without speaking it, however, it is only an assumption that English is the official language of the United States America is full of citizens from incredibly different racial backgrounds and there are communities of all cultures found everywhere, so the notion that English is the conclusive language our country speaks is technically false.

Not only is it absurd to ignore different languages in our country, is completely unethical to deprive a student of their education just because English is not their first language. Though English is the preferred language in most American classrooms, it is not the only one, and so it is illogical not to offer bilingual learning to students that need it. Those who want immigrants to learn English are right in the sense that it is in the immigrant student’s best interest to learn English to succeed in this country, but wrong in the sense that they should do so because it is the language of America. With proper understanding of English acquired in a fair and civilized way, immigrant students can properly communicate in English, as those who are anti-bilingual education want. From there, immigrant students may become functioning, contributing member to our society, but it all starts with bilingual lessons, America itself is not “English-only”, and so our classrooms should not be either, especially when it benefits us as a nation in the long-run It should be common knowledge that it is easier to learn a language when you have the tools to translate it.

Those who want immigrants to learn English should consider the effects of bilingual education. Another repeated argument of those who are anti-bilingual in education is that it distracts English-speaking students in the classroom. It is often disputed that immigrants should learn English on their own time as to not confuse or agitate American students with a the burden of a bilingual lesson. This is a weak argument because there is no supporting studies or evidence to the claim that bilingual learning negatively affects English—speakers. Only positive outcomes can be seen from a bilingual classroom Bilingual educated is needed by many, especially because for most English—learners, a public school day is the only education they have. English learners who are enrolled in English-only classes are unable to comprehend what they are learning and do not have any other source of education, Researchers on the matter have concluded that only twenty~six percent of English learners have internet access at home.

The majority of immigrant students are unable to search up translations or other things they might need to be successful in an English-only classroom. It is also found that most minority students attend high-poverty schools and come from low-income families, so they can not afford extra help or tutoring sessions. English learners have insufficient learning tools, and therefore fall behind in school. They are forgotten in the education system and are not given the same opportunities as English-speaking students. Minority high school students have the highest dropout rate in America. Hispanic students specifically have a nationwide drop out rate of about eighteen percent. This is most likely caused by how common English-only education is in America. Rather than just throwing an immigrant student into an English-only classroom and expecting them to acquire the language all on their own, we should offer bilingual lessons to give immigrant students a better chance at succeeding.

The high dropout rate also contributes to America‘s high unemployment rate; about thirty—three percent of unemployed minorities have not completed their education. Currently, the effects of immigrant students in English-only classrooms are horrendous, and something needs to change. Bilingual education is the most effective way to ensure the success of minority students, and it does not harm any other student’s academic progress, therefore should be offered to benefit those in dire need. Bilingual education gives English learners a chance to succeed, one they would most likely not have without the opportunity. Those who are against bilingual education also claim that co-teaching in the English- learner’s native language hinders them from fully acquiring English. Time and time again, those who are pro-English-only ignorantly declare that accommodating to an immigrant student hurts them in the long run, simply because they are still allowed to speak in their native tongue.

This is only a myth of bilingual education; those on the opposing side are making gross assumptions without any supporting evidence. Several scientific studies have confirmed that English learners who have participated in bilingual lessons have scored high on English written tests than English learners who have participated in English-only lessons. Bilingual education has repeatedly improved the test scores of English-learning students, and has not stopped them from successfully picking up English in the process. Specific examples of this can be found in several European countries, where bilingual education is provided for immigrant students in need. Studies have shown that it helps immigrant students learn their second language smoothly and comfortably, while also improving their grades.

Bilingual lessons not only accommodate the children in need> but also help them adapt to their new home and learn the more widely used language. With more and more immigrant settlers migrating to the land of the free, we as a nation should work to accommodate them and efficiently integrate them into our population. We must assimilate them by allowing them to learn our most common language in an easy, comfortable, and effective way that does not disrespect their culture. It is not only unfair for English learners to be forced into an environment they can not yet to understand, but it is also counterproductive to leave them to learn on their own, because most can not. We must create an education system that is fair and equal for all students, of all languages and all cultural backgrounds. We must work to decrease the low success rates facing immigrant students in this country. In order to achieve a promising future and a thriving country, we must consider bilingual education.