The Beginning of Bilingual Education
Bilingual Education had been a source of debate since the beginning of formal education. Immigration, poverty, and language barriers within families that were often underprivileged limited their abilities to communicate in the English language. Accompanied with the desire to provide a better life for their children, many of these immigrant families have chosen to move to the United States as a means of survival. The language barrier that they are faced with, however, also serves as a barrier to rising out of the poverty that they were trying to escape.
Bilingual Education formed as a result of inequities in the flawed educational system and a quest for the equality of opportunity. Bilingual and ESL programs are able to help many of these immigrants students as they acquire the English language, but the gap between these learners and the higher socio-economic students continues to rise. Consequently, the quest for equality of opportunity continues today.
The language barrier by so many immigrants was faced by so many immigrants was formally addressed when Bilingual Education became an official program in 1968 with the passage of the Bilingual Education Act, Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This legislature provides that Limited English Proficient (LEP) students or English Language Learners (ELL) must be educated and given extra services or assistance in acquiring the English language so that they are able to attain an education that is equivalent to their English-speaking counterparts. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had previously addressed segregation and equality but not specifically the language of minority groups. This was not addressed until the May 25th Memorandum, which modified Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to include provisions protecting the rights of national origin, language minority persons.
In 2002, the English Language Acquisition Act, or Title III, was passed as a part of No Child Left Behind Act, stating that bilingual education will now be determined on a State level, meaning an end to Federal funding. Title III focuses on teaching English to LEP students while incoroprating it with native-language instruction for those who may need it.
There are 36 states nationwide that have legislative provisions for funding LEP student instruction. Nineteen states list no separate program of aid to local districts for serving LEP students, and a handful of states note that Bilingual Education is a responsibility of the federal government under Title VII. Additional funding for bilingual programs is available form many sources. Federal funding comes mostly from Title III, previously known as Title VII grants. According to the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE, 2002), federal Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs (OBEMLA) also states that $20 million is available in Language Aqusition State Grants for Bilingual Education every year, and 25% of all grant money automatically goes to those schools that have the most LEP students ( Education Commission of the State [ESC], 2003).
Bilingual Education formed as a result of inequities in the flawed educational system and a quest for the equality of opportunity. Bilingual and ESL programs are able to help many of these immigrants students as they acquire the English language, but the gap between these learners and the higher socio-economic students continues to rise. Consequently, the quest for equality of opportunity continues today.
The language barrier by so many immigrants was faced by so many immigrants was formally addressed when Bilingual Education became an official program in 1968 with the passage of the Bilingual Education Act, Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This legislature provides that Limited English Proficient (LEP) students or English Language Learners (ELL) must be educated and given extra services or assistance in acquiring the English language so that they are able to attain an education that is equivalent to their English-speaking counterparts. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had previously addressed segregation and equality but not specifically the language of minority groups. This was not addressed until the May 25th Memorandum, which modified Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to include provisions protecting the rights of national origin, language minority persons.
In 2002, the English Language Acquisition Act, or Title III, was passed as a part of No Child Left Behind Act, stating that bilingual education will now be determined on a State level, meaning an end to Federal funding. Title III focuses on teaching English to LEP students while incoroprating it with native-language instruction for those who may need it.
There are 36 states nationwide that have legislative provisions for funding LEP student instruction. Nineteen states list no separate program of aid to local districts for serving LEP students, and a handful of states note that Bilingual Education is a responsibility of the federal government under Title VII. Additional funding for bilingual programs is available form many sources. Federal funding comes mostly from Title III, previously known as Title VII grants. According to the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE, 2002), federal Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs (OBEMLA) also states that $20 million is available in Language Aqusition State Grants for Bilingual Education every year, and 25% of all grant money automatically goes to those schools that have the most LEP students ( Education Commission of the State [ESC], 2003).
Work Cited
1. http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg40.html The Department of Education. Part A — English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act, or Title III
2. www.nabe.org National Association for Bilingual Education
3. http://www.pbs.org/kcet/publicschool/roots_in_history/bilingual.html PBS
1. http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg40.html The Department of Education. Part A — English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act, or Title III
2. www.nabe.org National Association for Bilingual Education
3. http://www.pbs.org/kcet/publicschool/roots_in_history/bilingual.html PBS