Bilingual Education

Bilingual education, a preferred strategy for the last 20 years, teaches academic subjects to immigrant children in their native languages (most often Spanish), while slowly and at the same time adding English instruction. In theory, the children don't fall behind in other subjects while they are learning English. When they are fluent in English, they can then "transition" to English instruction in academic subjects at the grade level of other children their same age. Further, the …

…of bilingual education: It can be a source of input in English or a way of developing knowledge and literacy through the first language, and for continuing first language development (158-59, 161, 66). As all programs contain problems that could be worked out so does the program of bilingual education. However the most important fact about this program is that it is efficient in achieving its goals of preparing these children for full participation in mainstream society.