Research Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research Argument - Essay Example niversity.com, â€Å"Bilingual Education - Need for Bilingual Education, Benefits of Bilingualism and Theoretical Foundations of Bilingual Education†, it says that, per data from the 2000 US Census, there are more than 9.7 million children aged five to seventeen, or one out of six, who speak language other than English at home. It further states that the years 1990 to 2000 saw a dramatic increase on the population of language-minority children, increasing at 55%, in contrast to only 11% increase in the population of children from homes where only English is spoken. Such demographics led to the implementation of bilingual education program. According to a brief historical account of the bilingual education in America by The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, the Bilingual Education Act, which was passed in 1968 was reinforced by a Supreme Court decision in 1974. The Act mandates that due assistance be extended to students with limited English proficiency by providing instructions in the students’ native languages. However, the said law and especially the substantial budget that it entails, has been the center of arguments and debates. From the same brief historical account by The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, groups grew to criticize the bilingual education program with claims that some students either refuse or are unable to join mainstream classes, among others. Moves to eliminate the bilingual program have been successful in California and in Arizona, in 1998 and 2000, respectively. The elimination of bilingual education program is not only discriminating, it also deprives the students with limited English proficiency of a proven effective way of acquiring their much-needed English proficiency. The claim of English-only advocates that bilingual education program is a dismal failure and therefore is a waste of state resources, is an unfounded truth. Krashen, Stephen and McField, Grace, in their write-up â€Å"What Works? Reviewing the Latest Evidence on