Bilingual Education

English as a Second Language

English as a Second Language (ESL) programs are common in American public schools. Generally the goal of an ESL program is to mainstream language minority students into a regular child education classroom as soon as possible. The kind of program available to students who are not English-proficient depends upon the demographics and the available resources of the district. Often a school district must meet the needs of a very diverse student population who speak many different languages. It is not unusual for there to be students speaking three or four different languages within one bilingual education classroom.

ESL teachers do not always speak a language other than English, and there is no instruction in the student’s native tongue within the ESL program. Most ESL programs are pull-out programs in which the child is part of a regular classroom for a part of the day but is pulled out for ESL instruction in the core subjects.

Some districts have ESL classrooms in which half the class is fluent in English and half the class is learning English. Usually these classes stay together for all subjects, and both an ESL teacher and a regular education teacher team-teach the class.

Immersion Programs

Immersion programs are bilingual education programs in which language minority students are only exposed to English. English is taught to them through the content areas, but the student moves forward in the materials according to his or her own proficiency level.

Bilingual Education Programs

The major difference between an ESL program and a bilingual program is that in the bilingual program there is some instruction in the first language of the students who are learning English. These programs are more prevalent in districts that have one predominant second language spoken within their student population. The instructors within such a bilingual program must be fluent and able to instruct in both languages.

Early-Exit Program

An early-exit bilingual program is one in which the primary goal is to exit students quickly and to mainstream them into a regular classroom. Students usually remain in an early-exit program from one to two school years, and the majority of instruction is in English.

Late-Exit Programs

Late-exit bilingual programs allow language minority students to remain in the bilingual classroom for most of elementary school. Forty percent of instruction is in the child’s first language. Learning English is the goal, but improving cognitive development within the child’s native tongue is also valued. Late-exit programs are prevalent in areas of the country where there is a large, well-established bilingual population.

Elements of a Successful Program

• The mother tongue needs to be well developed to promote cognitive development in a second language.
• Parental and community support needs to be strong.
• Teachers need to be able to understand, speak, and use both languages. They must have a high level of proficiency in the language of instruction.
• Teachers need to be well trained in subject matter and cultural competence, and training must continually be upgraded.

Bilingual Education Summary

In a country rich with diversity, bilingual education is a reality and a necessity. It is estimated that there are more than 6,000 languages spoken in the world. Multiple language proficiency will continue to be a significant goal of American education.

Studies have proven that the best predictor of language development in a second language is the level of development of cognitive and academic development in the first language. Studies also indicate that learning a second language fluently takes four to seven years of formal instruction. These facts should determine the types of bilingual programs school districts need to be developing across the country.