Should There Be Government-Funded Bilingual Education In The U.S.?

Truly, one of the most critical items in relation to our future is the quality of our children’s education. The question of “how then shall we teach” is just behind the perfect government and the meaning of truth in popular philosophical debates. Plato considered it important enough to include it in his masterwork, The Republic. In modern times, the question has a new twist; what language shall we teach in our schools, or should there be more than one?

Bilingual education is a hotly debated topic, and the nation is hardly unified on the matter. California’s recent Proposition 227 banned government-funded bilingual education, while other states have extensive bilingual programs (Rothstein). Here in Florida, we have our own program that is usually referred to by its acronym, ESOL-English for Speakers of Other Languages. Proponents of such classes argue that instruction in his or her native language is the most sensible way to educate an immigrant. They believe that bilingual education produces viable citizens in a painless manner. Some argue that the culture of America, the immigrant-roots idea of our country, demands that we include these children in our society.

Some topics in this essay:
Equal Opportunity, Languages Proponents, World War, Bob Dole, Court Lau, Americans Mexican-Americans, Schlafly Finding, , Gomez Oropeza, Bilingual Bridge, bilingual education, immersion classes, native-language instruction, bilingual program, native language, learn english, bilingual classes, bilingual schooling, form education, bilingual teachers, classes learn english, bilingual schooling violates,