Video Debate Questions

Bilingual Education

Erin Pepe and Adrianna Creighton

English Only

Alexa Untener and Mary Wolf

Bilingual Education Pros:

1. Skills in students’ native language may facilitate their development of skills in

English.

2. Bilingual education supports cultural inclusion and diversity.

3. Working memory is improved.

Bilingual Education Cons:

1. Bilingual education is not cheap, lack of qualified teachers and

materials/resources.

2. Bilingual education segregates limited English proficient students from other

students, which may have social and academic impacts.

3. By reducing exposure to English, bilingual education may slow the acquisition of

English language skills.

English Only Pros:

1. An English only environment forces students to speak in English to express

themselves. Students are more willing to experiment with the language and may

become more confident and comfortable in their language use.

 2. An English only environment helps students to strengthen their developing

listening skills.

3. An English only environment may be easier to manage than one where students

speak multiple languages

English Only Cons:

1. Beginner English language learners may struggle to learn simple language points

in English.

2. Students will feel uncomfortable in this environment, which may impact

learning.

3. Decreased participation from students with lower English skills

Opening Key Points for Bilingual Education:

1. Bilingual education is the process of teaching students using two

languages.

2. Educators usually teach students in their native language in conjunction

with a second language utilizing differing levels of the native and second

language depending on the requirements specified in lesson plans and

teaching models.

3. Early bilingual education increases fluency over time. bilingual options

should be implemented early as K-12. By doing so the students will benefit

both within academics and in life.

Opening Key Points for English Only Education:

1. English only classrooms support the learning of the language and by training

students to naturally use English in their everyday activities.

2. English only is part of effective classroom management that fosters learning and

respect.

3. By allowing English-learning students to study in bilingual education programs,

well-meaning schools actually do these students a disservice.

3 Questions Bilingual Education is Asking English Only:

1. Being in an environment where they will understand little to none of the language

spoken, how will an ELL child learn and succeed within the classroom?

2. How will a teacher create a comfortable environment where there are open lines of

communication between the ELL learner and their classmates?

3. If the teacher is not educated on an ELL’s native language, how will they be able to

communicate with the student’s parents and/or guardians?

3 Questions English Only is Asking Bilingual Education:

1. How would you create an environment that balances both English and the ELL’s native

language?

2. How can you ensure students will be motivated to learn English rather than just relying

on their native language in the classroom?

 3. How can you make sure the ELL student doesn’t feel ostracized in the classroom?

Closing Key Points for Bilingual Education:

1. Bilingual Education is essential to increase students' sense of belonging and

increases parent involvement and behaviors such as reading to children.

2. The goal is functional bilingualism and biliteracy for all students by middle

school.

3. Jennifer Steele at American University conducted a four-year, randomized trial

and found that these dual-language students outperformed their peers in
English-reading skills by a full school year's worth of learning by the end of
middle school.

Closing Key Points for English Only:

1. By requiring all students to learn and speak in one language, children are more

likely to intermingle with each other, leading to well-rounded perspectives.

2. Students can take advantage of an environment where English is the only

language spoken.

3. Being immersed in the language, they can engage more readily and start using

the language in their own lives.