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(Dear Colleagues,
The following appeared in USA Today, October 28. The final two paragraphs of my
response were cut. I was asked to write 350 words and I wrote 348. My two cut
paragraphs appear below my response. --Stephen Krashen)
Original URL:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2002-10-28-edit-oppose_x.htm
Bilingual education works
By Stephen Krashen for USA TODAY, October 28, 2002
Supporters of bilingual education agree that children whose native language is
not English should acquire English skills as quickly as possible, but they argue
that the native language can be used in ways that accelerate English-language
development.
High-quality bilingual programs introduce English from the first day in the form
of English as a Second Language classes. And they teach academic subjects in
English as soon as instruction can be made comprehensible. But the programs
also develop literacy in the first language and teach subject matter in that
language in early stages.
Developing literacy in the first language is a shortcut to English literacy. It
is much easier to learn to read in a native language; once a child can read in
that language, reading ability transfers rapidly to English.
Teaching subject matter in the first language stimulates intellectual
development and provides valuable knowledge that will help the child understand
instruction when it is presented in English, which helps English-language
development.
Studies by California State University professor Fay Shin confirm that most
parents of children in bilingual programs find this rationale reasonable and
support the use of the first language in school.
Nearly every scholar who has reviewed the scientific research has concluded that
bilingual education works. Children in bilingual programs acquire at least as
many English skills as children in all-English programs — and usually acquire
more.
Jay Greene of the Manhattan Institute used more precise statistical tools than
those used in previous reviews and found that bilingual education has positive
effects. He concluded that "efforts to eliminate the use of the native
language in instruction harm children by denying them access to beneficial
approaches."
Stephen Krashen, professor emeritus of education at the University of Southern
California, is author of Condemned without a Trial: Bogus Arguments Against
Bilingual Education.
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These paragraphs were cut:
Critics claim that test scores increased in California because California
dropped bilingual education. Not true. Stanford
professor Kenji Hakuta reported that scores rose in districts that kept
bilingual education through special waivers, and in
districts that never had bilingual education. Test scores increased for
everybody in California.
The harshest critics of bilingual education research maintain that more research
is necessary before we make policy
decisions. If so, eliminating bilingual education is premature. More likely, it
is a serious mistake.
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