Bilingual Education vs.

English Only Education

Roles? Who is on the Bilingual Education side? English Only?

○ Bilingual Education: ​Danny Damico, Destiny ​Carpitella

○ English Only: ​Angie Hendricks, Maggie Donnelly

Research Bilingual Education and English Only. Identify 3 pros for each, and 3
cons for each.

○ Bilingual Education

PROS:

1. Pro: increased cognitive development (​Children that know a second

language perform better in tasks that call for creative thinking,
pattern recognition and problem solving) ​AND ​working memory is
improved (​Why Bilingual Education Is Even More Relevant Today |
Think ...austin.thinkbilingual.org ›
why-bilingual-education-is-bec…​)
2. Pro: ​People who speak two languages often outperform
monolinguals on general measures of executive function (​Bilingual
Education: 6 Potential Brain Benefits : NPR Ed : NPRwww.npr.org
› sections › 2016/11/29 › 6-potential-brain-...​)
3. Pro: Opportunity for early diversity (​Bilingual Education - What is
the definition? | Renaissancewww.renaissance.com › edwords ›
bilingual-education​)

CONS:

1. Con: ​issues​ of majority/minority relationships ​AND​ social and

cultural dominance because of the ​educational ​aspects of educating
public ​school​ students in their non-English native or home
language. (​The Bilingual Education Controversy: A Road Map |
MoraModulesmoramodules.com › Prop227 › BERoadmap​)
2. Con: The cost of Bilingual education is much more than an English
only setting
(​https://connectusfund.org/8-prominent-pros-and-cons-of-bilingu
al-education​)
3. Con: Lack of qualified teachers and assistants to fulfill necessary
requirements
 (​https://thelifevirtue.com/15-pros-and-cons-of-bilingual-education
-advantages-disadvantages-explained/​)

English Only:

PROS:

1. Pro: encourages students to intermingle with their classmates by

uniting them over a common language.
(​https://www.findlaw.com/education/curriculum-standards-school
-funding/english-only-instruction-in-public-schools.html​)
2. Pro: English only approach encourages problem solving among all
students ELL and not as they work to communicate with one
another.
(​http://teflchris.blogspot.com/2016/06/english-only-classrooms-b
eneficial-or.html​)
3. Pro: An english only classroom can be easier for the teacher to
manage
(​http://teflchris.blogspot.com/2016/06/english-only-classrooms-b
eneficial-or.html​).

CONS:

1. Con: creates a disconnect between students and their school

because they do not see themselves and their culture in the
classroom.(​https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/
11/the-costs-of-english-only-education/413494/​)
2. Con: There is an appearance of an increase in dropout rates when
English only is implemented.
(​https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/impact-english-only-inst
ructional-policies-english-learners​)
3. Con: Students who struggle with English tend not to participate as
much as the teacher becomes the lange police.
(​http://teflchris.blogspot.com/2016/06/english-only-classrooms-b
eneficial-or.html​)
Identify 3 key points you will discuss in your opening for Bilingual Education. Briefly
describe why you believe the key points are relevant/appropriate for the debate. Do the
same for English only.

Bilingual Education Opening:

1. A bilingual educational approach allows students to be surrounded by a diverse

environment. Under this approach, instruction can fluctuate between two (or
more) languages: English and another language (that is greatly favored within the
classroom).
a. This approach can be beneficial for students who speak two or more
languages.
b. Students often feel more comfortable speaking their native language and
thus will engage more in classroom activities.
2. There are issues with having a Bilingual program such as the expenses and lack of
qualified teachers but education is designed to benefit and help all students too
help them succeed and grow
a. Students who are new to this country or who are learning English should
not be put second just because a program is more expensive
b. A move towards bilingual education could create a greater job market for
teachers who speak another language
3. It is proven that individuals who speak two languages often outperform
monolinguals on general measures of executive function:
a. The ability to communicate with a wider audience of people is greatly
enforced.
b. Translating within the work field is also crucial to guide others in a more
direct and understanding path. (Leads to more opportunities within the
workforce)

English Only Opening:

1. The English Only approach is used in a classroom with English Language

Learners (ELL). Under this approach, instruction and class materials exist solely
in English.
a. This point is relevant because it explains what English Only is so that the
audience understands.
2. The 4 areas of language are reading, writing, speaking and listening. When you
embrace the English only approach you make all of these complex processes
unified under the English language. Which allows the teacher to bring all of these
elements of language together.
 a. The immersion approach of English Only is beneficial for the teacher and
the cognitive expansion of the student as they work to learn a new
language in a new setting.
3. The English only approach is a useful teaching strategy because it creates a
unified learning environment around working together to communicate in one
way with embracing the English language.
a. This point explains why we are in support of English Only education and
highlights some of the positive outcomes of this pedagogical approach.

Create 3 questions the English Only side will ask the Bilingual Education side during the
cross examination. Also vice versa.

Bilingual Education Cross Examination:

1. How can students, who do not / can not speak English, be engaged within an
English only approach curriculum?
2. How can an English only environment affect a student’s transition?
3. How do you justify the loss of native culture that the ELL students go through
when we force them to assimilate to English only?

English Only Cross Examination:

1. How do you suggest a bilingual education classroom builds commonality and

community?
2. How do you justify or account for the higher costs that a bilingual education will
cost your school district?
3. How will you engage the ELL students without leaving behind the native English
speakers?

Identify 3 key points you will address in your closing statements for both English Only
and Bilingual Education​.

Bilingual Education Closing:

1. The Bilingual Educational approach is beneficial for academic achievement and
opportunities within the workforce. Students should feel encouraged to learn a
new language because it makes them become aware
2. Although it is quite expensive, there are various ways to improve the program to
ensure all students are receiving a quality education. A lack of qualified teachers
can be difficult when trying to promote a Bilingual approach, however, that
should not hinder current teachers from learning a new language to support the
needs of a Bilingual curriculum.
 3. Bilingual education can be phased out as time goes on but at the beginning of
transition, it is much easier to be able to communicate with the students and to
make them more comfortable in the classroom.

English Only Closing:

1. The English Only approach prevents the native language from becoming a crutch
for a student and instead pushes these students to fluency and immersion in their
new language.
2. Within an English Only classroom, the teacher will get to know her students and
their background in order to make them feel welcome in the classroom. There can
be many opportunities for sharing across cultures through projects and other
activities which are not excluded or prevented in an English Only approach to
teaching ELL students.
3. As a teacher in an English Only Classroom, the teacher needs to find other ways
to communicate with the student. Just because they do not speak English, does
not mean the teacher will isolate them from the classroom community. Like a
teacher would do with all of their students, the teacher needs to make sure that
the ELL student is understanding the content taught in each lesson.