My Philosophy of Bilingual and ESL Education, Essay Example

Bilingual education is a hot topic in Texas today.  As a future bilingual educator, I also have very strong feelings on the matter.  In Texas, many students start school with a limited ability to speak English.  They may be recent immigrants to the United States from a Spanish speaking country, or they may have lived in the United States their whole life but at home the only language spoken was Spanish.  These students begin their education at a disadvantage behind English speaking students who do not have to first have to learn English in order to learn the curriculum of the school.  Teachers who teach ESL, or English as a second language, are thus a vital part of school for these students.  They are able to keep the Spanish speaking students up to date by teaching part of the day in Spanish, and part of the day in English.  Unfortunately, bilingual education has often been criticized and hindered by politics, especially by the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act.  In order for bilingual education to be effective, it needs to be supported by the community as well as teachers, parents and politicians.

Texas is home to a large Spanish speaking population.  Many of these people are legal residents or citizens of the United States.  Children who begin school that do not speak fluent English are at a serious disadvantage if a good ESL program is not in place.  For some reason, it is considered inferior to be speaking Spanish, learning English, and going to school at the same time.  However, speaking at least two languages is a very positive experience.  Children have an amazing ability to learn and adapt quickly.  If the two languages are integrated at a steady pace, like the 90% – 10% Spanish to English program, then the students are able to learn English, maintain a strong understanding of Spanish, and advance in the curriculum of other scholastic areas.  The 90% – 10% program teaches Spanish 90% of the time and English 10%, gradually increasing the English until it reaches a 50% or higher percentage of the day over a 5 year time period.

Schools with a high percentage of students needing ESL schooling are heavily taxed.  These schools are normally already heavily taxed by needing more ESL teachers to keep their Spanish speaking students up to date.  The No Child Left Behind Act makes all schools responsible for a federal standards test that must be passed by a majority of students.  Many schools with a high population of ESL students are unable to make the grade and are in need of federal funding to supply students and teachers with the tools to increase the pass rate of these students, to ensure that “no child is left behind”.  Unfortunately, in Texas, a recent battle on this front was lost when a Texas federal appeals court overturned a 2008 ruling that said Texas was failing more than 140,000 ESL students across the state.  Instead, the blame is to be laid on the individual school district.  Unfortunately, the problem is the lack of funding already available in the school districts, which tend to be poor since they are located in districts without a high tax base.

Teaching ESL is a positive experience for both teachers and students.  It is important for the students to learn English, since it is the primary language spoken in the United States.  However, there are many benefits of learning two languages simultaneously.  As long as there are enough ESL teachers for the amount of students needing the classes, then there should be no problem in getting these students the education they need that meets the standards set down by No Child Left Behind.    Maintaining a positive mixture of Spanish and English is positive for the entire community.  Children who grown up only speaking English can benefit from being in a classroom with Spanish speaking children as they can be taught the Spanish language as well.  Being bilingual is gives students a more complete education.  In many countries world-wide, multiple languages are taught beginning in grade school.  The United States does not make languages a part of the mandated curriculum until High School.  However, as the population of America becomes more mixed, it is important that schools begin to understand the importance of learning multiple languages.  It breeds understanding and compassion when students see Spanish as something positive instead of something to be ashamed of.

I believe that bilingual education is an effective tool in teaching students who have a limited English background.  Bilingual teachers are able to keep students up with the curriculum of the school plus tutor them in English so they can eventually be integrated into a fully English classroom.  Having a teacher that is bilingual helps these students to feel more comfortable in the classroom, as they are not embarrassed by their inability to communicate with their teachers and peers.  Without bilingual educators, these students might give up on education and stop coming to school. This leads to a lower education rate within the United States and totally goes against the belief that every child in the United States is entitled to a complete education.

Studies show that “Well-designed and carefully implemented bilingual education programs can have a significant positive effect on student achievement both in English literacy and in other academic core courses when compared to English immersion.”  (Laitsch, 2004)  However, in order to be effective, both the local, state and federal education systems need to acknowledge the need for more ESL teachers in schools and for the proper funding be made available to them.  Students who have a limited English background when entering school can achieve the same academic levels as students who begin school already fluent in English.  ESL educators are the key to that success.

References

Alexander, Kate. “Appeals Court Overturns Ruling on Bilingual Education in Texas.” Austin American Statesman.  March 21, 2010.  Web.  Apr. 9, 2010.  Retrieved from http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/appeals-court-overturns-ruling-on-bilingual-education-in-433367.html

Laitsch, David.  “The Effects of Bilingual Education on English Language Learners.” Research Brief. 2.5 (2004).  Web. Apr. 9, 2010.  Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/researchbrief/v2n05/toc.aspx