Calfornia Bilingual Education Deja Vu?

There is a proposition on the ballot, that wants to gut the Ballot Proposition that killed most bilingual education in California. I have mixed feelings about this. My understanding was once 227 went into effect, it had a huge negative impact on businesses selling bilingual materials. I have heard this from multiple book sellers. As an educator, it seemed that prior to 227 many students were stuck permanently in bilingual classes, and never learned English. The incentive for schools being to max out bilingual classes for additional funding. The end result from studies, is eliminating bilingual education did not seem to have a negative impact on student performance.

My 2 cents - What California needs is true bilingual education. What it has prior to 227 was not. The goal has to be to get students fluent in English ASAP, for this is a basic language they need for economic survival in the US, To go beyond the survival level, being bilingual is a great advantage to have. In Southern California Spanish is very helpful, but the rise of China, had made Learning Chinese a competitive advantage.

Déjà Vu in California (Culture Wars) - The American Interest

Labels: bilingual education

Amazing what you can find on the Internet. I was looking for an article about how Textbooks are created for public schools, and I found a very good article about China's schools.

I have mixed feelings about this. What I have noticed, is there is a huge amount of Chinese students who go to college in the US. I have a feeling these students get an excellent K-12 education, and then get the benefit of the excellent US College system. And yes, I understand the students who manage to go to a US college are a select few.

The US K-12 system, the quality varies tremendously. China's schools are focused on testing, and US schools seem to be taking some of this approach with Common Core.

The Myth of Chinese Super Schools - NY Review of Books - Diane Ravitch

Labels: Best Schools, bilingual education, china

For Learning Chinese there are so many ways you can enrich your child's environment with Chinese. From singing along with them with songs in Chinese and English. To putting a Chinese CD in the car on your way to school. To reading them stories in Chinese. To using the touch pen for having the books read electronically in Chinese. Or even watching a DVD in Chinese.

Parents can have a huge impact on their children through the interaction. One of the reasons I am such a proponent of reading to young kids is because of the exposure it gives them. To vocabulary as well as concepts. I read to my daughter long before she could read (my wife thought I was crazy). My daughter turned out great. The only negative may be she reads too much :-) And now she's borrowing my books - which shows great taste, but I am working on the correct re-shelving part.

An area that frustrates me with bilingual education is so often it's just not done well. The majority of how California schools, pre 187 did Bilingual Education it was an example of badly done bilingual education. This quote from the story I find sad - In truth, English learners and most poor children fail because they are not taught English well.

Quality counts - LA Times

Labels: bilingual babies, bilingual education

Not a good situation.

Students Win Last Chance for Diploma By Jaisal Noor - The Independent

I like Bilingual Education when it's done right. The challenge is most bilingual education is not done right, which is why there was such a backlash in California with Bilingual Education. The focus needs to be on teaching English as well as the foreign language. The problem is often the English part got forgotten. There are some amazing bilingual schools that do an A+ job in teaching Chinese and English.

Labels: bilingual education

Interesting the languages that the US citizenship tests are available in. If your over 65 you can take the test with the help of a translator or in your native language.

Other languages include Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

Labels: bilingual education, bilingualism

Does Arizona's system serve? After 17 years, Flores English suit goes to high court - Arizona Star

It's now in the US Supreme Court's hands and the ruling may have a major impact on the so called bilingual education in the US. My 2 cents was what was called bilingual education really was not. True bilingual education is expensive, and that is where you learn both languages fluently. In California from a political viewpoint, depending on the Supreme Court Ruling, I don't see any changes in how students are taught English.

Labels: bilingual education

I've been reading "The Bilingual Edge" (by Kendall King and Alison Mackey )and I must say I find the book very helpful. The text is easy to read, as though the authors are having a conversation with you.

Interesting to me are the reasons they cited about the advantages your child will get by being bi-lingual (English-Chinese, for example.)

It has been found that bi-lingual kids are:

• Smarter. More creative, intellectually flexible
• Socially open.

It turns out bi-lingual children are subjected to more brain activity as they learn two different sets of language. And since their brains are more active, it is but natural for bilingual kids to be more creative and flexible. It was found that bilingual kids can come up with more different answers to problem-solving questions. Not surprisingly, even in test scores and academic performance, it has been seen that bilinguals tend to outperform monolinguals. Note that this is more true for children who have an advanced knowledge of another language, rather than those who know how only how to greet and count in a second language. (However, the latter still tend to be "smarter" than monolinguals. )

As for the social benefits, bilinguals are more understanding of people of the secondary language, and people of other cultures as well. Knowing another language opens their eyes and their hearts that people are different and people should take time to listen to each other. For kids, it is easier to learn about one's heritage if songs, rhymes and stories are understood in the native language. Later on, these children will be the same ones who will reach out to people of different groups. They will also be the link to the next generation's appreciation of one's culture.

Either way, the intellectual and social boost being bilingual brings are characteristics we aspire for our children. Teaching your kids to be bilingual is a win-win experience for the child, for your family, community and even the global community.

Bilingual Edge shares more about why, when and how to teach your child a second language.

Or see more parenting-bilinguals books.

Labels: bilingual education, parenting, Why Learn Chinese