A look back
“Bilingual Education: The Controversy”
By Richard Rothstein, May 1998, pp. 672-678
In this classic Kappan article, Richard Rothstein describes how the arguments against bilingual education are based on myths about how prior generations of immigrants learned. Bilingual education, in which students learn academic content while also learning English, is contrasted with immersion models, in which immigrants are placed in English-only environments. Those who prefer immersion models point to past immigrants who ostensibly rose to the challenge when immersed in English. On the contrary, says Rothstein, many past immigrant groups sought education in their native languages instead of full immersion in English.
In his exploration of the education trajectories of past immigrant groups, he finds that bilingual education has a long history. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence both for and against both bilingual and English immersion, with no clear evidence that one is better than the other in every situation. Without clear and persuasive evidence, the issue has become politicized, with policy makers backing the approach that fits their agenda. Rothstein concludes, “The best thing that could happen to the bilingual education debate would be to remove it from the political realm. Sound bite pedagogy is no cure for the complex interaction of social, economic, and instructional factors that determine the outcomes of contemporary American schools.”
Conversation piece
The articles in this issue focus on how schools can help students whose home language isn’t English to succeed. Use these questions to reflect on the issue with your colleagues:
- How has the language make-up of your school or district changed in recent years? What does that mean for your school?
- What does your school or district do to support English learners and make them welcome in the school community? In your experience, what has been most helpful?
- What role do students’ home languages have in your school? To what extent does your school or district encourage or discourage the use of students’ home languages, and what do you think should be done differently?
- What assistance do teachers need to be better equipped to teach in schools where students speak multiple languages?
PDK members have access to discussion guides related to specific articles in each issue of Kappan. Log in to the member portal and access the discussion guides at https://members.pdkintl.org/PDK_Member_Discussion_Questions.
Research connections
Do English learners feel like they belong at school?
English learners (ELs) say they are understood and respected by their peers, teachers, and other adults, but they don’t feel like they belong and are accepted in their schools, according to a study by Rachel S. White, Jack Schneider, and Madeline Mavrogordato. In contrast, students who were formerly classified as ELs feel supported by and connected to their peers, but their relationships with teachers and other adults are less positive.
“Factors like sense of belonging can play an important role in ensuring that students remain engaged in school and continue to see value in the educational experience,” the researchers wrote. The study “suggests that reclassification, while a positive academic outcome, can also lead to EL-classified students feeling less connected to their teachers.”
The study suggests that schools should look at the ways that strong relationships and a feeling of inclusion can be fostered for those students most likely to feel marginalized or left out of the school culture.
Source: White, R.S., Schneider, J., & Mavrogordato, M. (2023). bELonging: Do students classified as English learners feel included? AERA Open, 9.
Equity and dual-language immersion
Integrated “two-way” dual-language immersion (DLI) programs increasingly are seen as an effective way to serve English learners. These programs enroll native English speakers and native speakers of the program’s non-English partner language. They support children’s emerging bilingualism and are popular among a diverse range of families. A report by The New Century Foundation raises concerns about equity as these programs increasingly are being used for language enrichment for English-speaking children, instead of expanding educational opportunities for ELs.
“But without structures in place to protect equity, the linguistic integration that appears to be key to two-way DLI’s success can become colonization that eventually displaces ELs from these schools,” the researchers wrote. “How can policymakers encourage the creation of diverse, integrated two-way DLI settings — while still protecting equitable access for ELs?”
Source: Williams, C.P., Meek, S., Marcus, M., & Zabala, J. (2023, May 15). Ensuring equitable access to dual-language immersion programs: Supporting English learners’ emerging bilingualism dual language immersion. The Century Foundation.
Expand access to bilingual education
A report by the Civil Rights Project calls for expanded access to bilingual education for English learners because of the well-researched benefits of bilingual education, bilingualism, and biliteracy for students.
The report suggests incremental federal, state, and local policy actions to build toward bilingual education as the standard for EL-classified students. “Despite a history characterized by swings towards and away from more expansive bilingual education, a federal policy that positions bilingual education as the standard service for EL-classified students when possible is a viable goal as we look twenty-five years into the future — if federal, state, and local policy begin taking steps towards this goal in the immediate.”
Source: Porter, L., Cano, M.V., & Umansky, I. (2023, June 15). Bilingual education and America’s future: Evidence and pathways. The Civil Rights Project, UCLA.
This article appears in the October 2023 issue of Kappan, Vol. 105, No. 2, pp. 5-6.
