Why do you think bilingual education is imprtant????????

Question

Why do you think bilingual education is imprtant????????

Answer 1

It's not necessarily because the languages will be utilized, but it challenges a certain part of the brain, just like geometry.  It shows work ethic and reveals a possible career path.

Answer 2

I don't think bilingual education is important, and I am against foreign languages being required for high school graduation. I support foreign languages as ELECTIVE courses. As it is now, Spanish is a REQUIRED subject for graduation. Why? Why can't students choose what foreign language they wish to learn? If they wish to force another language, why not make it American Sign Language? This way, students could communicate with deaf Americans, rather than with illegal immigrants from spanish speaking countries. Lets face it, those who come here legally prefer to hear English so they learn it easier. They do not want to hear textbook Spanish.

Answer 3

Depending on where you live, lots of people speak more than one language. Also, if you ever plan to travel another language would be super useful.

Answer 4

It will be good if all Americans could speak Spanish and English.  Help us communicate in this country

Answer 5

I dont

Answer 6

i consider bilingual education to be a huge threat to America... the core of what has made America great is taking all cultures together and bringing them into a homogeneous whole.. instead bilingual education tempts America to instead of combining into one whole become seperate groups.. this is by it's very nature dysfunctional and will result in fragmentation within America.

Answer 7

Hmmm, interesting question.  Since you asked it in the enviromental section, I'm going to tie it back to my permaculture farm life.

I believe U.S. children serrious lack behind other countries in the languages.  If a second language is going to be taught it should be taught when children are very small (pre school, kindergarden, elementary) since it's a well proven fact that young children have no problems picking up second (or more) languages.  The older one gets, the harder.  Complete idiocy to try and teach it to High School students.

When I was in High School, I wanted to take American Sign Language as my second language.  The year I had to take my language class, they dropped American Sign....only to bring it back the very next year (Grrrrr!).

In my working carrier (medical profession) I had many, many times when American Sign language would have been VERY bennificial!

Now we have a permaculture farm, where I raise meat goats.  I sell to customers from all over the world, via the local Unniversity.  I sell to a few Hispanic people ever year (Mexicans).  The Spanish one it taugh in school has little resembilance to the Spanish the Mexicans speak....so zero help there.

My customers are from Saudi Arabia, all of the central African countries (20-30 dialects there), Nepal, Jamaica, Trinidad, Germany, Korea, ect.  Having a second language really wouldn't be of very much help for me.  Quiet frankly, I'd need about 50 different languages/dialects to be able to converse with my customers.That's because I have a 100% ethnic customer base.

Thank heavens people who do not speak the same language are able to get simple ideas accross....big, little, young, old, $$$,  water, knife, ect.  So even though I do not speak 50 different languages I'm able to converse, and barter with customers just fine.

Sign Language would have been THE most benificial second language for me to know.  I think children should be taught a second language....but when they are very young.  I do NOT think it should be a requirement the second language be Spanish.  

I aslo feel STRONGLY that if you live in the U.S.A., learn to speak English!  My customers are always quizzing me, and using me for impromtu, low key language lessons.

~Garnet

Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years