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The Debate Between Bilingual Education and English Immersion Programs
Bilingual Education is defined as any school program that uses two languages. In
a more theoretical sense it is any educational program whose ultimate goal is
for the participants to be fully versed in all facets of both languages (i.e.,
able to listen, speak , read, and write in both languages). The definition of a
coordinated, developmental bilingual approach has emphasized the goal of being
equally fluid in both languages. Realistically, this has not been the goal for
most K-12 bilingual schools in the United States. More commonly in the United
States we are using the words “bilingual program” to describe a program that
will provide literacy and content in the primary language, while building
English fluency, to the point where all instruction will occur in English. These
programs are label transitional bilingual programs as their ultimate goal is to
transition all students into an English only learning arena.
One of the down
sides of these programs is that they are not maintenance (development)bilingual
programs which are designed to preserve and develop student’s primary language
while they acquire English as a second language. Bilingual Program Models All
bilingual program models use the students' home language, in addition to
English, for instruction. These programs are most easily implemented in
districts with a large number of students from the same language background.
Students in bilingual programs are grouped according to their first language,
and teachers must be proficient in both English and the students' home language.
Early-exit bilingual programs are designed to help children acquire the English
skills required to succeed in an English-only mainstream classroom. These
programs provide some initial instruction in the students' first language,
primarily for the introduction of reading, but also for clarification.
Instruction in the first language is phased out rapidly, with most students
mainstreamed by the end of first or second grade.
The choice of an early-exit
model may reflect community or parental preference, or it may be the only
bilingual program option available in districts with a limited number of
bilingual teachers. Late-exit programs differ from early-exit programs primarily
in the amount and duration that English is used for instruction as well as the
length of time students are to participate in each program (Ramirez, Yuen, &
Ramey, 1991). Students remain in late-exit programs throughout elementary school
and continue to receive 40% or more of their instruction in their first
language, even when they have been reclassified as fluent-English-proficient.
Two-way bilingual programs, also called developmental bilingual programs, group
language minority students from a single language background in the same
classroom with language majority (English-speaking) students. Ideally, there is
a nearly 50/50 balance between language minority and language majority students.
Instruction is provided in both English and the minority language. In some
programs, the languages are used on alternating days. Others may alternate
morning and afternoon, or they may divide the use of the two languages by
academic subject. Native English speakers and speakers of another language have
the opportunity to acquire proficiency in a second language while continuing to
develop their native language skills.
Students serve as native-speaker role
models for their peers. Two-way bilingual classes may be taught by a single
teacher who is proficient in both languages or by two teachers, one of whom is
bilingual. ESL Program Models ESL programs (rather than bilingual programs) are
likely to be used in districts where the languageminority population is very
diverse and represents many different languages. ESL programs can accommodate
students from different language backgrounds in the same class, and teachers do
not need to be proficient in the home language(s) of their students. ESL
pull-out is generally used in elementary school settings. Students spend part of
the school day in a mainstream classroom, but are pulled out for a portion of
each day to receive instruction in English as a second language. Although
schools with a large number of ESL students may have a full-time ESL teacher,
some districts employ an ESL teacher who travels to several schools to work with
small groups of students scattered throughout the district. ESL class period is
generally used in middle school settings.
Students receive ESL instruction
during a regular class period and usually receive course credit. They may be
grouped for instruction according to their level of English proficiency. The ESL
resource center is a variation of the pull-out design, bringing students
together from several classrooms or schools. The resource center concentrates
ESL materials and staff in one location and is usually staffed by at least one
full-time ESL teacher. Models with No instruction in the native language-- such
programs provide neither instruction in the native language nor direct
instruction in ESL. However, instruction is adapted to meet the needs of
students who are not proficient in English. Sheltered English or content-based
programs group language minority students from different language backgrounds
together in classes where teachers use English as the medium for providing
content area instruction, adapting their language to the proficiency level of
the students. They may also use gestures and visual aids to help students
understand. Although the acquisition of English is one of the goals of sheltered
English and content-based programs, instruction focuses on content rather than
language. Structured immersion programs use only English, but there is no
explicit ESL instruction.
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