Phoebe Shively
Migration, Globalization, and Education
November 27, 2016
Educational Improvements for Immigrant Students
The composition of American public schools has evolved, and the education system is struggling to accommodate the diversity of the student population. Immigrant students face barriers that prevent them from receiving the same quality of education as native English speakers. There are many ways in which schools could break down these barriers and provide an equally excellent education to all students. Schools could hire bilingual teachers or translators to resolve miscommunications and to take a burden off of child translators. Segregation between classmates could be minimized by modifying the curriculum to include topics …show more content…
Furthermore, schools should encourage parents to volunteer and help children practice their language in real-world scenarios outside of the classroom. In order to combat the segregation, language barriers, and adult responsibilities that immigrant children often face, schools should hire translators, educate students about foreign languages and cultures, implement dual-immersion programs, and provide ways to practice language skills outside of the classroom.
There are numerous barriers in the education system that prevent immigrant students from receiving an equally excellent education as their U.S.-born peers. Some of these barriers include language barriers in the classroom, segregation, and taking on adult responsibilities. One challenge that immigrant youth face in the American public school system is segregation. Immigrant students are often placed into English-as-a-second-language classrooms, separated from their U.S.-born peers (Olsen, 2008). English-as-a-second-language classes, or ESL, are classes that incorporate a student’s native language in order to teach them English. Not …show more content…
To ensure success for both English-speakers and English-learners, schools should implement a bilingual education program like Dual-Immersion. Some other bilingual programs, such as Early-Exit or ESL classes, do not support the student’s native language; instead, the goal of these programs is to use native languages as a bridge to English to have students enter English-only classrooms as soon as possible. Dual-Immersion programs are different because they enroll both native English-speakers and English-learners, who can learn from each other. The goal of Dual-Immersion programs is for both English-learners and native English speakers to become bilingual (Morales & Aldana, 2010). The Dual-Immersion program works by combining translation support for immigrant students with education of foreign languages and cultures. Dual-Immersion programs support multilingualism rather than causing students to give up their native language and become monolingual. Dual-Immersion classes are a good start to providing an equally excellent education to immigrant students, but they aren’t a perfect solution due to the high cost of maintaining the program, choosing which languages are offered, and continuing language learning at
Migration, Globalization, and Education
November 27, 2016
Educational Improvements for Immigrant Students
The composition of American public schools has evolved, and the education system is struggling to accommodate the diversity of the student population. Immigrant students face barriers that prevent them from receiving the same quality of education as native English speakers. There are many ways in which schools could break down these barriers and provide an equally excellent education to all students. Schools could hire bilingual teachers or translators to resolve miscommunications and to take a burden off of child translators. Segregation between classmates could be minimized by modifying the curriculum to include topics …show more content…
Furthermore, schools should encourage parents to volunteer and help children practice their language in real-world scenarios outside of the classroom. In order to combat the segregation, language barriers, and adult responsibilities that immigrant children often face, schools should hire translators, educate students about foreign languages and cultures, implement dual-immersion programs, and provide ways to practice language skills outside of the classroom.
There are numerous barriers in the education system that prevent immigrant students from receiving an equally excellent education as their U.S.-born peers. Some of these barriers include language barriers in the classroom, segregation, and taking on adult responsibilities. One challenge that immigrant youth face in the American public school system is segregation. Immigrant students are often placed into English-as-a-second-language classrooms, separated from their U.S.-born peers (Olsen, 2008). English-as-a-second-language classes, or ESL, are classes that incorporate a student’s native language in order to teach them English. Not …show more content…
To ensure success for both English-speakers and English-learners, schools should implement a bilingual education program like Dual-Immersion. Some other bilingual programs, such as Early-Exit or ESL classes, do not support the student’s native language; instead, the goal of these programs is to use native languages as a bridge to English to have students enter English-only classrooms as soon as possible. Dual-Immersion programs are different because they enroll both native English-speakers and English-learners, who can learn from each other. The goal of Dual-Immersion programs is for both English-learners and native English speakers to become bilingual (Morales & Aldana, 2010). The Dual-Immersion program works by combining translation support for immigrant students with education of foreign languages and cultures. Dual-Immersion programs support multilingualism rather than causing students to give up their native language and become monolingual. Dual-Immersion classes are a good start to providing an equally excellent education to immigrant students, but they aren’t a perfect solution due to the high cost of maintaining the program, choosing which languages are offered, and continuing language learning at