BE v EO

[teachnj]

Lawyers, lawmakers, and the public at large want students to perform well on tests at the expense of true learning. True learning takes time and students have to be ready to learn whatever it is that is being taught to them. Mere exposure does not guarantee learning. Mastery of English is a long process that takes time. English has many nuances that other languages lack. Bilingual Ed has been proven to ameliorate students' culture and language shock upon arriving in this country as well as build bridges between a student's vernacular and the English language. As I research the EO movement on the Internet it seems that its proponents feel that funds are being wasted on BE because the students are not transitioning into English in 2-3 years. As I said learning takes time and when these students get here native speakers of English have a very wide margin head start over them. Could a native speaker go to a foreign country and be fluent in that language in 2-3 years? More importantly, funds are not being wasted on BE because the bodies are here! If a bilingual teacher does not teach them a mainstream teacher will!