Chuntana Sayavong is author of next 2015-2016 MLHS senior student editorial
Here For a Better Future
There can be many reasons why someone my leave their home.
It can be because there is a war going on, or simply because they need change. Immigrants leave their home country for opportunities their country doesn’t offer, like safety or education.
Students that are enrolled in school in the United States are given all the supplies to learn and be successful, but they cannot do that if they do not understand the language in which they are being taught.
I believe that having bilingual education gives all students of different cultures the opportunity to get the education for which they strive. Rizwan Ahmad, an Assistant Professor of Sociolinguistics at Qatar University in Dohar, Qatar, has said, “Because bilingualism in the United States is often indexed with immigration, the term ‘bilingual child’ may imply ‘poor’ or ‘uneducated.'” This just shows how stereotypical some people.
A group from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from which Professor Ahmad received his Ph. D. in 2007, believes that, “In our increasingly interconnected global communities, it is important to be able to communicate with one another. Most other countries in the world have multilingual citizens, and we would like to see American counted among them.” This is something with which I completely agree.
When teaching students in their native language, this does not imply that they will not ever be taught English. Bilingual education is teaching the student in his or her native language so they learn certain curriculums (mathematics and science as examples) faster, as well as being taught to speak English fluently.
Some people think that bilingual education would just confuse students, but OccupyTheory.org actually states that learning another language heightens the mind, as well as constructs a promising future.
Considering how easy it is for people from all over the world to contact each other, learning other languages could be extremely beneficial. OccupyTheory.org also states that people who learn to speak and understand a second language fluently could also learn a third language more quickly.
Researchers have additionally discovered other benefits of being multilingual. Kristina Olson, Ph. D., an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Yale University in New Haven Connecticut, states that the brain is greatly affected because a person learns better the more the vital areas in the language center of the brain grow. In addition, this can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s up to approximately five years.
Knowing multiple languages can also improve many other qualities, such as memory, multitasking, attention span and self-control. It also affects the way a person sees the world, improving listening skills and the ability to distinguish other languages.
I believe that bilingual education gives a better opportunity not just to non-English-speaking students, but for all students.
How can a student learn if they are being taught in a language they cannot understand? Every student in school, no matter from where they come, are there because they want to learn to build a better future. This is why I believe bilingual education is so important.