Bilingualism in American Education

Bilingualism is the ability to speak in more than one language. Many Americans today are able to speak many languages. There are conflicts in America trying to make standard English the only language in the country, while there are many cultures who still speak their native language. Other cultures are able to speak other languages outside of theirs, making the world more multilingual. American education should embrace the bilingual system.

[Claim] Bilingualism could help bring different cultures in America together, instead of isolated. [Reason] Many people who struggle speaking proper English have been pushed away and keep our schools segregated still today. [Evidence] In Defining Who We Are in Society, Troutt states that people who have the English language mastered, believe that people try to put their kids into schools with a low percentage of (poor) blacks because of their Ebonics speaking dialect (819). Ebonics isn't a different language but it still incorporates as trying to keep different languages outside of the common place that people are accustomed to.

[Claim] If America brought bilingualism into the education system, it could help teach children how languages can bring cultures together. English isn't the only language known to American citizens, while many speak Spanish already. [Reason] Bilingual system can help make America one instead of separations of races making it easier for everyone to understand each other. [Reason] Immigrants today are being stripped away of their native language and forced to learn English in order to succeed. [Evidence] In If Only We All Spoke Two Languages by Ariel Dorfman, he explains to us that bilingual method doesn't imprison a child in their original language but it helps build bridges to English (797). [Transition] In this sense, it helps enlighten children to different cultures and languages instead of isolating them with just the American culture.

[Topic Sentence] People of different cultures, such as Chinese, who have grown up speaking Chinese their entire lives and move to America where they are forced to learn English, have trouble being understood by others because of their heavy accents or "broken" English (805). Not being able to understand someone frustrates the person speaking, making their burdens even worse. [Reason] If someone goes to the doctor trying to get help and the doctors do not understand the patient, the patient won't get anything out of the doctor. [Evidence] For example in Amy Tan's, Mother Tongue, she tells us how her mother's English was very poor and when she tried speaking to doctors or stockbrokers, she wasn't able to go anywhere with what she was trying to say (806). [Evidence] Tan, as a young girl, had to speak for her mother to these important people. If America could improve the language system with bilingualism, people could get their needs met without having the trouble of not being understood.