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

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ica have a right to proper schooling, and that what are considered to be the alternatives to B.E. are inadequate, or worse. Many of these people are vehement in their opposition of “English-immersion” programs, in particular.
Immersion classes are what opponents of native-language instruction usually support in the place of it. They are basically normal, all-English classes, although they may include an intensive English course along with the usual sciences and social studies. Students that have been classified as having no English skills are put into these courses, to “sink or swim”, as it has been put so many times before. While it is true that children with these classes learn English, the methods are highly questionable. Is it really worth it to put children in a hostile, incomprehensible environment so that they may learn the language without extra expense to the government?
Immersion classes oppose B.E. in a crucial respect. The idea of comprehensible input is the basis of bilingual education. It means that the student can learn what he understands (Gomez and Oropeza). This cannot be accomplished in immersion classes, which really only serve to make the student feel inferior, and to teach English at a decreased rate. The comprehensible input
idea has been applied to other classes, like math and science, but it is even more accurate when applied to students who literally do not understand the language of the lesson. Such a condition is hardly conducive to quality academics.
Part of the controversy surrounding B.E. involves questions about its effectiveness. These questions inevitably come down to ineffective implementation. Without proper technique, there is no effective schooling of any kind, and bilingual education is no different. But even under tremendous strain, B.E. still proves its worth.
In 1995, researchers at George Mason University conducted one of the biggest bilingual studies ever, examining ...