In a multicultural world, people who are proficient in more than one language may possess a competitive advantage. Bilingual education is one method of acquiring a second language. In this this type of education, students are taught subjects in their native language, and are also trained to speak a second language. In the United States, the vast majority of bilingual education involves Spanish-speaking students. Bilingual education critics believe that all students should be taught in the official language of the country where they live. Improvements in bilingual education methods may help alleviate some of the criticism.
Instructions
1. Establish more two-way bilingual programs. For example, many Spanish bilingual programs in the United States focus exclusively on teaching English to non-native speakers. Two-way programs would teach English speakers the Spanish language, and conduct lessons in both Spanish and English so that both sets of students are gradually introduced to a new language. This can help non-native speakers retain pride in their own culture and help English speakers understand the difficulties of learning a new language, which creates a more equitable classroom environment.
2. Solicit parents of non-native speakers to learn the official language. Many students in bilingual programs come from homes in which the only language spoken is their native one, which may inhibit the acquisition of English or another official language.
3. Establish a standard training program for bilingual educators to maintain consistent teaching standards. Improperly or under trained teachers cannot provide the quality instruction needed for non-native students to master the official language.
4. Set a limit for how many years a student can participate in bilingual education. Many of these programs take as many as seven years before a student achieves proficiency in the official language. Schools must establish a shorter cycle for non-native students to learn the language.
5. Try new initiatives. The conventional method of providing bilingual education may not work for every school or every student. Only by testing new methods can schools find the best way to teach non-native students. One example is to select a small group of students and place them in an immersion program for a year, in which all classes are taught in the official language. School officials can compare results between the immersion method and the conventional method to determine if there is a significant difference in achieved proficiency.
Tags: official language, bilingual programs, non-native speakers, non-native students, bilingual education, conventional method, English speakers