Teacher Discussion Forums

smontaez · Joined: 25 Jan 2011 Posts: 12

I am presently reading Forbidden Language for my class and I was amazed at the statistics concerning the history of bilingual education. The fact that bilingual education (f/k/a Title VII) has been in existence since 1968 and is still an issue with cycles of acceptance and rejection in many states is very disconcerting. It is sad to learn of the many impediments in bilingual education including but not limited to no teacher training, governments with hidden agendas, lack of funding etc.

cmq98 · Joined: 20 Jan 2011 Posts: 12 Location: New Jersey USA

I agree that it's a disgrace that bilingual ed has been around for a long time and individual states and the country have yet to unify a plan to move forward and better educate our ELL's. The number of immigrants entering our country is growing by leaps and bounds on a daily basis and some type of policy consensus needs to be reached soon. I'm not sure what the answer is, but as it stands now it's not working and both the ELL's and our nation are suffering as these people represent our future.

cunnin49 · Joined: 22 Jan 2011 Posts: 6

One problem I see with bilingual education is that there are often times when a school does not have enough students of the same language background that get missed in bilingual education. Due to the fact that you cannot reach all NNS there is a general feeling for a lot of people that these children are able to succeed in ESL programs, what is the need for bilingual? Also, the problem becomes that bilingual education causes some people, aka the voting public issues about funding and where it is coming from. These people that vote often times are not the ones whose children would be in a bilingual program, hence the representatives do not lobby for bilingual education because it would not help them in the polls. The people that need bilingual education that can vote need to get out and make their presence know if they would like change. Change will only come when people make enough of a push on government and right now it is not being brought to the government officials who can make the changes for them.

Sally Olsen · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:10 pm Post subject:

You can do a lot with volunteers in the meantime and if you document the progress the students make, it helps with the data to prove that these programs do help.

Mromero · Joined: 22 Jan 2011 Posts: 9

I agree with all that you guys are saying and would like to add that Bilingual education has no standard curriculum it varies from district to district and that to me is very sad. Also, ESL programs lack a standard curriculum and some districts even make up a curriculum as they go along (a trial and error format) without any curriculum design training.