Introduction
When I was 15, I arrived in this country, and it was a great culture shock. The most apparent issue was the language barrier which became a stumbling block in advancing in all of my academic assignments. Students who do not speak English cannot perform equally with English-speaking students in the same environment. For these vulnerable groups, education becomes a great factor in whether they fail or succeed in school. In my case, all classes were taught only in English, and, in the beginning, I did not understand a single word. For students in the same situation as me, it is challenging to perform well and keep up with the learning process. The history behind bilingual education explains some of these struggles and why they remain a problem to this day. Although some work is being done, bilingual education issues persist and should be improved on the national level.
Affected Groups
It is vital to look at the student populations most impacted by the problems linked to bilingual education. Hispanics are the largest non-English speaking group that enters schools in the United States. In 2015, the rate of Latino students in elementary and secondary education was more than one-fourth (Porter). If children in Spanish-speaking families do not learn English prior to entering school, they may experience problems understanding material. Hispanics are more likely to be English language learners (ELLs) and, thus, may face more significant challenges in acquiring English proficiency.
Another population segment that faces similar challenges is Chinese students, whose number is also increasing in American schools (Porter). While Chinese students may not have as much difficulty learning English, they often struggle with communicating orally due to cultural differences. Chinese and English use different writing systems and grammar; therefore, it can be more difficult for students to learn how to read and write (Prath 1121). Therefore, both groups of students can benefit from bilingual education programs that cater to their specific needs.
Laws and Regulations
A number of laws and rulings cover the access to and financial support of bilingual education. The fundamental rights and protections from discrimination are granted to all residents under the 14th Amendment (“Developing Programs”). Title VI of the Civil Rights Act bans discrimination based on race or nationality in federally funded programs and activities (“Developing Programs”). This law is designed to ensure that minorities have access to the same education and opportunities as other members of society.
However, many school districts could not provide the necessary resources for ELLs due to a lack of funds. The Bilingual Education Act (BEA) was established in 1968 to provide schools with additional funding to create programs specific for ELLs (Porter). As an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, it was a step toward recognizing the unique needs of non-English speaking children in the American education system. Some major rulings related to bilingual education are Lau v. Nichols and Horne v. Flores – they will be covered later in more detail.
The Department of Education
The Department of Education is focused on ensuring that all students have the opportunity to succeed in school, regardless of their background or first language. Bilingual education plays a vital role in achieving this goal, and the department is committed to supporting programs that help students become proficient in both English and their native language (Lam et al.). Currently, the department is working with schools across the country to provide resources and support for effective bilingual education programs. In particular, students are benefiting from programs that focus on English Language Development (ELD) and English as a Second Language (ESL) (Lam et al.). These programs help students develop the necessary language skills to succeed academically.
Lau v. Nichols and Horne v. Flores
Before the 1960s, the education of bilingual students was not viewed as a serious issue. In the late 1960s, it was common practice to assign teachers to bilingual education programs with little preparation in the use of bilingual materials and procedures (Cárdenas). Around that time, an evaluation of bilingual education was conducted by the American Institute of Research (AIR), which showed that almost one-half of the teachers studied had received less than three days of bilingual education training over five years (Cárdenas). These numbers indicated a lack of attention to bilingual students’ access to high-quality education.
A significant change in bilingual learning in the United States happened in 1974 when the decision in the case of Lau v. Nichols was announced. It was unanimously ruled that, based on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, school districts that received federal funding had to provide instruction in the English language to non-English speaking students (French-Folsom and Rolfson 18; “Developing Programs”). The relevant portion of the EEOA states: “No State shall deny equal educational opportunity to an individual on account of their race, color, sex, or national origin” (“Key Sources of Federal Law”). The outcome of this ruling also supported the idea that the lack of education in English was detrimental to students’ academic success. As a result, it became clear that students had to acquire knowledge in the English language in order to integrate into society.
Nevertheless, a later decision in Horne v. Flores did not advocate for expanding the resources for achieving this goal. It was determined that the districts’ financial decisions could not be controlled, and the center of attention had to be not on funding but on the program’s structure (Thro 14). As a result, many schools were put in a difficult position – they had to provide adequate education for ELLs even if they did not have sufficient funding for materials and teachers.
Solutions
The discrepancy between student needs, funding requirements, and regulations is apparent. Currently, many schools are underfunded and cannot provide a program for ELLs (Adil; Bangoura). Classes are overcrowded, and the curricula differ between states and individual districts (Lam et al.; Porter). As a result, some organizations choose to provide education in the native language only, which hinders assimilation, while others prefer to teach all subjects in English, disregarding the unique needs of non-English speaking students (Lam et al.; Porter). The solutions to these problems lie in balancing students’ cultural preservation and academic achievement needs. It is vital to provide school districts with sufficient funds for bilingual programs. Furthermore, an affixed school curriculum that helps ELLs to start gradually participating in English-taught classes can be implemented to standardize the approach to bilingual learning.
Conclusion
To sum up, the current problems in bilingual education are linked to insufficient funding and the lack of agreement about students’ needs and academic goals. Every child has the right to free public education, which results in them being prepared for future academic and work successes. Equal educational opportunities granted by the Constitution mean that non-English speaking students should have the same chances at exceling in schools as English-speaking ones. For schools to improve their results, the government should approach this issue with more attention and care by expanding the funding and creating a specific strategy to help ELLs enter the learning environment.
Works Cited
Adil, Muhammad. “10+ Problems Faced by Teachers in Teaching English Language.” Adil Blogger, Web.
Bangoura, Jennifer. “What Challenges do ESL Teachers Face in the Classroom?” Go Abroad, Web.
Cárdenas, José. “Current Problems in Bilingual Education: Part II.” IDRA, 1993, Web.
“Developing Programs for English Language Learners: Lau v. Nichols.” U.S. Department of Education, Web.
French-Folsom, Emory, and Maryn Rolfson. “Flunked Out: A Comparative Look at State Educational Code, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and Slavery Education.” Brigham Young University Prelaw Review, vol. 34, no. 1, 2020, pp. 17-31.
“Key Sources of Federal Law that Impact English Learners.” Colorado Department of Education, Web.
Lam, Kristin, et al. “More US Schools Teach in English and Spanish, But Not Enough to Help Latino Kids.” USA Today, Web.
Porter, Rosalie P. “The Case Against Bilingual Education.” The Atlantic, Web.
Prath, Scott. “Using Informal Measures to Separate Language Impairment from Language Influence When Working with Diverse Students.” Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, vol 4, no. 5, 2019, pp. 1121-1127.
Thro, William E. “The Many Faces of Compliance: The Supreme Court’s Decision in Horne v. Flores.” School of Business Affairs, vol. 75, no. 9, 2009, pp. 14-16.