The significance of bilingual education for language-minority children in the United States

Bilingual education proponents argue that language-minority children can learn English while maintaining their heritage languages and cultures. That is, they stress the parallel development of academic skills in the heritage language and proficiency in English as a second language. They emphasize that language diversity in the United States should be regarded as a rich resource instead of a lingering problem that needs to be eradicated. On the other hand, English-only advocates believe that a linguistically and culturally diverse country results in racial and ethnic conflicts and that an official language in the United States prevents such conflicts by unifying the country, thereby assisting immigrants. They claim that bilingual education works against the rise of English as a world language and encourages immigrants, both children and adults, to believe they can live in the United States without learning English. This paper examines controversies over bilingual education, including a brief history and background of bilingual education, and critically discusses why language-minority children should maintain their heritage language, focusing mainly on the advantages of heritage language development and the close interconnection of language, culture, and identity. (Indiana University)