Bilingual education in the U.S. has always been subject to lively discussions. Are immigrant children, who have recently come to the U.S., supposed to assimilate into English as fast as possible or should they maintain their native language when entering the American school system? Unfortunately, current English immersion and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs tend to choose the first option. In most cases, minority language students (those who speak a language other than English) are placed in programs which are of a subtractive nature: Rapid transition into the English language not only replaces the native language of these children, but also neglects the culture and heritage connected with that language. Besides this serious concern for minority language students, there is another problem with lan-guage learning in the U.S.: Language majority students (those who only speak Eng-lish) receive an average of two years of foreign language instruction in high school, which does not even come close to develop fluency (Frengel: 2003: 47). All things considered, the U.S. seriously risks becoming a monolingual society in a multicul-tural world.
A program which has the potential to solve this problem is the so-called Two-Way Immersion Program (TWI). The special advantage of a TWI program is that it integrates language minority and language majority students in one classroom and provides instruction to all students in both the minority as well as the majority lan-guage. The central goal of these programs is full bilingualism of both groups of stu-dents.
Due to the high rates of immigrants entering the U.S. in the last 20 years, the need for TWI programs has increased enormously. Since the State of California has received the most immigrants with around 100,000 immigrants per year (Lindholm-Leary 2001: 10), it also has the largest minority language population of students, with Spanish being the prevailing native language. Because of the special situation of California, this essay will focus on Spanish-speaking minority students taking part in TWI programs in California. . In particular, the essay will discuss the question how the sociological factors ‘society’, ‘social identity’ and ‘family’ influence these minority language students in a positive and/or negative way.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Theoretical and Conceptual Background of Two-Way Immersion Programs in the U.S.
- Historical Background of Bilingual Education and TWI Programs
- Definition of Two-Way Immersion Programs
- Two-Way Immersion Programs in California
- The Influence of Sociological Factors on Two-Way Immersion Programs and Spanish-Speaking Minority Students
- Spanish-Speaking Minority Students and Society
- The Assimilationalist Approach
- The Pluralistic Approach
- Spanish-Speaking Minority Students and Their Social Identity
- The Self-Concept of Spanish-Speaking Minority Students
- The Issue of Intergroup Relations
- Spanish-Speaking Minority Students and Family Issues
- The Mismatch Between Family and Home
- Parental Involvement in School
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay explores the opportunities and potential problems of Two-Way Immersion (TWI) programs in the United States, focusing on the impact of sociological factors on Spanish-speaking minority students in California. The essay aims to analyze the effectiveness of TWI programs in promoting bilingualism and cultural understanding, considering the influence of societal expectations, social identity, and family dynamics on the educational experience of these students.
- Historical development of bilingual education and TWI programs in the U.S.
- The role of sociological factors like societal expectations, social identity, and family dynamics on Spanish-speaking minority students in TWI programs.
- Potential benefits and challenges of TWI programs in fostering bilingualism and intercultural understanding.
- The influence of language learning policies and practices on the academic success and social integration of Spanish-speaking minority students.
- The effectiveness of TWI programs in achieving full bilingualism for both language majority and minority students.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introductory chapter discusses the changing landscape of bilingual education in the U.S., highlighting the shift towards English-only instruction and the need for programs that promote bilingualism and cultural understanding. It introduces the Two-Way Immersion (TWI) model as a potential solution to this challenge, focusing on its application in California due to the large Spanish-speaking minority population.
Chapter 2 delves into the theoretical and historical context of TWI programs, examining the evolution of bilingual education policies in the U.S. It traces the development of these programs from the early 20th century, outlining the key milestones and legal cases that shaped the landscape of bilingual education. The chapter discusses the emergence of TWI programs in the 1970s and their growing popularity in recent decades.
Chapter 3 explores the influence of sociological factors on Spanish-speaking minority students in TWI programs. It examines the impact of societal expectations and the dichotomy between assimilationist and pluralistic approaches to minority language education. The chapter also investigates the role of social identity in shaping the self-concept and intergroup relations of these students. It further examines the potential mismatch between family and home environments and the educational setting, as well as the importance of parental involvement in school.
- Citar trabajo
- Imke Meyer (Autor), 2010, Opportunities and Potential Problems of Two-Way Immersion Programs in the U.S., Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/174908
