Reasons for Maintaining and Developing Students First Language

·         Language is a part of the students’ identity, family and home.

·         We acquire new knowledge by basing it upon what we already know.

·         There is a need for bilingualism, especially considering how global our world ins becoming.

·         Students learn best in meaning-centered and intellectually rich environments. It is not possible to provide students with this if they are taught only in a language that they do not comprehend.

·         Students learn a language through interactions with it, meaning that students must be provided with the opportunity to hear and use the new language.  Students achieve this if they are in a classroom with native English speakers.

vs. Reasons For Focusing on Achieving Proficiency in English

·         Standard English is the dominant language and is needed in order to posses any social or political power. Not providing students with proficiency in English is to place them at a disadvantage.

·         If students do not master English they will not do well because school and society as a whole is biased towards English speakers.

Language and its Role in the Student’s Ability Acquire Content Knowledge

In order to acquire content knowledge students must understand the language in which the content knowledge is being taught. Furthermore, to successfully integrate into society, minority students must master both the English language and possess the skills and knowledge taught in American schools between first and twelfth grade. 

There is an ongoing debate about which type of knowledge is the most important for minority students with limited English proficiency to learn and in what order different types of knowledge and skills ought to be taught.

Some people argue that the number one concern should be that students learn English. People of this opinion would argue for ESL programs where the primary focus of instruction is to teach the students English.

Others argue that students should be taught content material in their first language and English should be introduced gradually. Such a method would be used in Transitional Bilingual Education Programs. The positive aspect of this method is that students do not fall behind in the content material but are able to participate in engaging grade-level appropriate curriculum that is intellectually stimulating and allows them to make advancement in areas of subject matter.