The Views of Educators in Bilingual Education

posted 6 minutes agoby Manuel F. Lara

by Sanchez, Maria D., Ed.D., JONES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, 2011, 281 pages; 3469587

Abstract:

Increase in the number of English language learners enrolling in American schools continue to rise while debates over the best way to educate these students are ongoing and unresolved. Critics of bilingual education, the program established to assist English language learners become proficient in English, argue that the program does not expose ELLs to enough English to become proficient quickly. As a result of this arguments three states, California, Massachusetts, and Arizona, have dismantled bilingual education from their districts and are now enrolling students in English immersion programs. Supporters of bilingual education argue that English language learners will be more academically proficient if allowed to learn critical content in their native language while learning English. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the educators' views and perceptions of the effectiveness of bilingual education. Sixteen educators from an urban school district in Texas currently working with ELLs were asked to participate in the study. Data collected included taped interviews and participant responses, classroom observations, and artifacts. The artifacts included classroom and curriculum materials, student work, student projects and technology. The study examined the experiences, knowledge, and perception of the participating educators involved in bilingual programs in order to identify its strengths and weaknesses. The study aimed to provide useful information that can assist policy makers, school districts, parents, and teachers make clearer, sounder decisions. Findings indicate that teacher participants value bilingual education as a program that effectively promotes students' learning of critical content skills while becoming proficient in English. Teacher participants' knowledge and understanding of bilingual education correlate with existing literature that students in bilingual education take approximately 5 to 7 years to become proficient in English and that they perform extremely well in state required tests.

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