Empowering Diverse Learners: The Benefits of Bilingual Education in America

Abstract

Bilingual Education One can define bilingual education as the process of teaching or training students using two languages. In bilingual education, the teacher teaches the learners using their native language in conjunction with another language (second language). While teaching students using the bilingual approach, the teacher utilizes different native and second language levels depending on the specified teaching model and lesson plan requirements (Bialystok 2018). According to Bialystok (2018), bilingual education has been a controversial topic in the United States attributed to its applicability, barriers, and effectiveness to the beneficiaries. However, due to the diversification of the American population, most of the public and private educational institutions in America employ transitional, dual language immersion, and developmental bilingual education approaches while teaching their student. These approaches differ, but all aim at enhancing bilingualism among students so that they feel accommodated and valued in an educational environment based on their differing cultures. As Bialystok (2018) puts it, the Bilingual Educational Act of 1968 served as a clear pathway to the acquisition of bilingual education for minority children with limited proficiency in English throughout America. It is an Act that created funding programs to assist such children succeeds in American schools as most use English as the national teaching language. Though bilingual education programs are far more expensive than English language-only programs, their benefits among non-English speaking students outweigh such costs as they adapt to American schools. The non-English students acquire extraordinary abilities to learn and speak English enhancing their adjustments in American educational institutions and impacting their academic performances. According to Bialystok (2018), having limited proficiency in English enhances failure for many minorities in American schools. For this reason, the bilingual education approach for the minorities in America aims to improve academic performances amongst all students through the...