Bilingual education emerges as superior to other programs in enabling ELLs to learn English as a second language. This is because it places emphasis on the learner to decide the degree of acquisition of the language. Bilingual education is also efficient as it emphasizes the role of culture in enabling an individual’s language acquisition. As such, instructors are required to use two languages in disseminating instructions to the students, particularly for students whose native language is not English.
According to Malarz (2017), bilingual education acts to facilitate an understanding of the education system and its contents. Instructions are, therefore, offered in English and also the native language of the child involved as a means to improve the competency of the child in the English language. The utilization of the two languages should be conducted in a manner that depicts respect and appreciation for the American culture and the cultural heritage of the children who necessitate the bilingualism in instruction.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The other important aspect of the bilingual education in support for ELLs is that it reinforces the maintenance of the learner’s native language and culture while learning English as a new language. However, the program utilizes the native language only to the degree necessary to enable the child’s acquisition of English and pursue other educational goals in the context of a regular school. The main aim of bilingual education is to enable language acquisition rather than teaching the language (Malarz, 2017). This is where the notion of acculturation emerges.
Acculturation is the process of interacting with a new environment and adapting the aspects that enable one to fit in. Language acquisition is one of the major aspects that enable one to fit in a new culture. For individuals involved in learning English as a second language, the idea of biculturalism comes in. Bilingual education offers a natural environment for an individual’s acquisition of the English language through authentic communication. This is particularly beneficial for children as they absorb and receive the language in silence before producing it in an interactive setting (Malarz, 2017). Bilingual education is, therefore, a superior means through which to gain proficiency in the English language as it does not only involve practicality in communication but also application in one’s educational pursuit.
Reference
Malarz, L. (2017). Bilingual education: Effective programming for language-minority students. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org
