Bilingual law fails first test

[YankeyMCC]

I thought this would be of interest to people given the "English as the official language of the USA" issue that's come up lately.

(snip)
Three years after Massachusetts ended statewide bilingual education, most non-native English speakers are not fluent enough to function in a regular classroom, state test results show.
(snip)

(snip)
Eighty-three percent of children in grades 3 through 12 could not read, write, speak, or understand English well enough for regular classes after their first year in Massachusetts schools, the test showed. Of students who had been in school for at least three years, more than half were not fluent, according to the test, given for the first time last year.
(snip)

(snip)
Under the bilingual education system, which the state had for 31 years, students would study English, but at the same time take some or all of their academic subjects in their native language. The old law recommended students transition into regular classrooms within three years.

But school officials and professors who studied bilingual education said the old system lacked enough qualified teachers and resources to succeed. Some children stayed in bilingual classes for up to eight years.
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http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2006/05/21/bilingual_law_fails_first_test/?page=1

Highlight is mine. I highlighted that bit about having enough qualified teachers because that is the crux of it. Frankly I agree that immersion is probably the best way to learn a new language but in the context of at the same time needing to make the grade in school there needs to be assistance for the students. That means in either the old system or the new immersion system you need qualified people (in other words money to hire them) to ensure the program works.

Yes there were problems with the old system but at least the students learned their subject matter. So now not only are they not learning english they are not learning the subject matter.

The reality is schools don't get the funding they need and I think the rethug administration in this state and the sponsors of the immersion law knew this very well. Given that fact "immersion" isn't going to help anyone and I think that shows the true motivation behind this story of thing.

[roody]

1. Your second language is built upon your first

language. If your first language base is limited, how do you master a second language, not only speaking but reading and writing it? Dual language immersion is the best model. A class is made up of one half home language English kids and one half home language (probably Spanish) kids. The early grades are 90% the cultural minority language. In 7 years or less, all kids without learning disabilities are fully bilingual and biliterate. A teacher uses only ONE language at a time. She or he is the face of only ONE language to a class. Therefore, they go to another teacher for English class.
There is a shortage of qualified teachers.

[roody]

2. Here is a link.

http://www.cal.org/twi/FAQ.htm
With our "English only" law in California, all participants have to ask for a waiver to the law. The up side of this is that parents become well informed about their children's education. Good schools want to inform parents.

[fleabert]

6. that was my husbands education, sort of...

he 'chose' spanish as his first language in a home where both English and Spanish were spoken (his sister, two years older, chose English) and in school, they offered comprehensive bilingual education in Spanish and English. He learned proper Spanish and proper English at the same time. He is fluent (reading writing speaking comprehension) in both languages still, and he's over 30.

that education was 2nd grade thru 6th, what an impact it had.

[kskiska]

7. Absolutely.

I have a friend who's taught ESL for years, on both the East and West coasts. He was hired to teach migrant workers in SC a few years ago, but as so many are illiterate in their own language, it was extremely difficult to teach them English.

[1monster]

3. According to the class I took two years ago (Multicultural Education

In a Pluralistic Society, it takes a minimum of seven years for those speaking English As A Second Language to become fluent enough in English to succeed in a regular classroom.

Many school districts offer only one to three years of classes for those students whose primary language is other than English.

[pooja]

4. problem with bilingual studies

If you are going to go to college, there won't be all these fluffy steps along the way... The last time I looked law schools taught in English and latin(lol)... Also, a little side note. Foreign students make up a percentage of students in colleges. In both my high school and my college. They often did better than the american english students.... maybe its the level of education that we are giving that is the problem and not the kids...

[roody]

5. So what is the problem with bilingual studies?