The case for Bilingual Public Schools Education This report follows up a request dated 11/13 requesting input concerning the question of public school education should be bilingual in Florida.
Using on-line research, this report offers three reasons why public Florida schools should be bilingual. In the conclusion, the report presents a possible solution.
The case for Bilingual Public Schools Education and Languages
First, bilingual schools are necessary because a bilingual brain is a powerful mind. In today society, there are more people bilingual living on the planet than monolingual ones. Their brains are more powerful than people who speak one language. Being bilingual makes people’s brains work more efficient and faster since they are able to use and talk in two languages at the same time. As a result of switching to one from another consistently. Bilingual minds have so many benefits respect monolingual ones because they have other types of regions of the brain developed. In kids, for example, being bilingual in such an early age, it improves other types of functioning processes such as inhibition. It also helps with the effects of cognitive aging of the brain since it never stops. But now, is it worth to be all schools bilingual? A bilingual education can strengthen the functioning of the brain. Children who learn their second language in a shortage can be beneficial for his brain and for his future. This type of dual language learning can be used as an advantage of understating more their surrounds since they are constantly learning. In addition to the fact that children brains are in process of development, their brains absorb better the information because they are in process of learning. Children brains are like a sponge, absorbs all the information to later uses it. Their brains never stop from being active and task are easier. “Being bilingual improves the executive functioning processes that manage things such as attention, working memory, planning, and problem-solving. The bilingual mind experiences a workout from constantly suppressing one language while activating another, which builds up the brain’s cognitive processes.” (Elahe 1). After years of daily managing the change of two languages their brains develop a way to work faster. “Dual language immersion produces bilingual and bi-literate students who can switch effortlessly from one language to the other.” (Jill 1). They become experts to grab information and ideas that are useful for them. Bilingual brains are shown to be more powerful. Using two languages at the same makes the brain to work twice the time that is used to. Thanks to that, people’s brains work smarter.
Moreover, bilingual schools are necessary because enriches cultural knowledge. To fully learn and understand a language the culture plays an important role. The process of learning a foreign language can use all your time and energy, but the reward is greater than the time spent. Language is the best way to learn another culture. It is like a gateway to completely emerge into this new world. Knowing a language does not only include the knowledge of grammatical and sentences construction, but also the geography and the culture of where it born. In fact, without this the cultural background, understanding specific meanings of the language can be challenging. Some people can found themselves a little lost while talking with a native speaking. This can cause misunderstandings between who is talking and who is speaking.
The case for Bilingual Public Schools Education and Diversity
Since some words, gesture, objects or even social context has a different meaning in different culture, knowing the culture of the language that is being talked can help with this. Learning another culture can be beneficial an sometimes even necessary. Diversity helps children to see the world different and schools should be bilingual for that reasons. The advantage of a bilingual schools is that children since short age, begin to be more open and closer to different cultures. “Not only the familiar academic disciplines and traditions of high culture, but the great multiplicity of cultures, perspectives and ways of knowing of the western and non-western world.” (Thomas 1). Being bilingual can make a person more open-minded and more accessible to talk to. “People of other cultures approach problem solving, personal interactions, and learning differently.” (Estela 1). Sometimes humans tend to critique people of a different culture because of the lack of understanding and base all their knowledge from stereotypes. Have knowledge of the culture of the language that is being learned is necessary. When understanding completely the culture as if it were yours, can really change the way of seeing the world. Knowing a language without its culture is equal to knowing nothing. As the famous quote says: “The knowledge is power”. Have total control of the background of the language help in the process of learning. This makes it more enjoyable and easier to understand and learn.
Most importantly, bilingual schools are necessary because bilingual children have an academic edge. “Early bilingualism confers benefits such as improved academic outcomes in school, and it enhances certain cognitive skills, such as executive functioning.” (Linda 1)