For those of you who are not familiar with English Language Only Laws, it is a hot button in bi-lingual education. Should children whose primary language is not English, be required to speak only English not just in class, but anywhere on school property? The law includes time on the playground, time at lunch, and during after school programs. A student cannot ask questions in Spanish nor can his teacher’s translate for him, nor can they have Spanish/English materials in their classrooms (think of those number lines that have “one” on top and “uno” on the bottom.)
On the outset, this seems like a good idea right? I mean, if you are going to immigrate to this country, you should learn English within a reasonable time frame. After all, conventional wisdom says that kids who are fully immersed will pick up English in no time. However, research suggests that kids do better in the long run when they’ve achieved literacy in their native language first.
Although I have never taught ESL, I have struggled in a classroom full of students whose primary language was not English. English language only laws, make it harder for teachers to do their jobs well and ensure that every student can learn. While immersion is obviously critical to acquiring a second language, it is also critical for the student to understand what’s going on.
Too Strict
It is true that the quickest way to learn to speak a foreign language is to be immersed in the culture and have to speak it day in and day out. However, it takes years to learn a foreign language well enough to be able to think in that language. It is a natural response for kids to speak their native tongue on the play ground or among their friends or anywhere else where they don’t understand something. Not to mention the fact that they are undoubtedly speaking their native tongue at home.
It is one thing to say that only English will be spoken in the classroom, but an entirely a different issue altogether to discipline students who speak their native language in passing. It is likewise unrealistic to expect teachers who are bilingual not to use their skills in helping their students understand such subjects as science, math and history.
Academia vs. Regular Speech
Anyone who is bilingual will tell you, there is a pretty big difference between academic speech, academic reading, and “playground speech”. Advocates of English only laws claim that the difference is between slang and proper English but that over simplifies the issue. It is entirely possible for students to master basic English and even learn to read basic English. Most students would be able to communicate on the play ground within a matter of months. However, there is an obvious and distinct advantage to studying all subjects in your native tongue.
A Novel Idea
What I would like to see happen in what I will term, “ethnically rich” schools, is for teachers who have to teach second language learners to sit down with the board and begin to make policies. To me, this is the only thing that makes sense. ESL covers a very large spectrum of classrooms and teaching situations, and it is definitely not a one size fits all proposition.
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Something to Talk About: Foreign Languages in American Schools
Bilingual Students: The Challenges Teachers Face