Emily Boyd

Dr. Tchaprazov
ENG 250
Spring 2016
The Language of the Middle Ground
In the United States today, it is predicted that English speakers will soon be in the
minority. With rising numbers of people immigrating from all around the world, this country is
no longer one that is monolingual. In the eyes of some citizens, this is a good thing.
Bilingualism is viewed in a positive light because of the many benefits that knowing more than
one language offers Families are encouraging learning second languages at younger and younger
ages. However, others look down upon bilingualism, especially in a classroom setting. Some do
not want their children to be immersed in a second language while still perfecting his or her first.
Some believe that those who come to the United States should have to learn English in order to
be a part of this society. These differences in opinion leave us with a question: should children
who do not speak English be forced to learn in English-only classrooms? While the two sides of
the argument differ in viewpoints, I am here to explore both sides and offer a middle ground in
order to appease to both positions.
Bilingualism has been proven to offer various benefits. These benefits include those that
are cognitive, social, personal, and career-enhancing. It has also been shown that it is the easiest
to learn a second language as a child. Schools around the United States are offering education in
a second language, in addition to English, in earlier grades. The present programs begin
anywhere from the kindergarten to the seventh and eighth grades. The most frequently
mentioned starting place for learning a second language is the third grade. However, it is worthy
to note that many begin with the kindergarten or the first grade (Van Eenenaam 310). No longer
is a foreign language only offered as an elective in high school. According to various researchers,
this is because children have the most cognitive capacity for learning a second language. Ruth L.

Persky explains it like this:

During this "bilingual period" (from age 6 to 11 approximately) the child learns a
language without resistance, without self-consciousness, without analyzing it, without
comparing it with his mother tongue, and without the mental shock of discovering that
the new language does not express ideas in the same manner as his native tongue. After
the age of 12, this bilingual gift gradually disappears. The learning process then becomes
complicated by reasoning and the demand of the adolescent mind for logic and rules to
guide it. (369)
Knowing a second language helps children in the classroom. On average, the bilingual
childrenhad similar or even better scores when compared to their monolingual peers on both
English decoding and reading comprehension measures (Maniates and Uchikoshi 2). Despite
what some believe, knowing a language other than English can help improve childrens ability to
learn English itself. Literacy skills have been shown to be transferable from language to
language without being a hindrance. In the area of basic reading skills, it has been found that
young bilinguals are able to transfer specific reading-related skills such as phonological skills
(phonological awareness and decoding) and word identification skills from one language to
another (Leikin 270) Advocates of this argument recognize bilingual education as something
that is helpful, not hurtful.
Apart from education, knowing more than one language has been shown to offer various
benefits in many different aspects of life. Proponents believe it is a way to bridge the social gap
and to be able to communicate with more people. Socially, bilingualism opens the door to
relations with others from all around the world. This is also helpful in the workplace; bilingual
employees are better able to communicate with a wider range of clients. On resumes, employers
may see that an applicant can speak a language in addition to English, and be more apt to hire
him or her as a result. As Mary E. McGroarty commented, a persons knowledge of simply one

language can be hurtful in the sense that it can prevent being promoted in his or her job, and can
prevent types of job change and the widening of a client base to include those who speak other
languages (178).
Those who oppose bilingual education see learning a second language as a child as a
setback. Some believe that children shouldnt be distracted while trying to master their first
language. There are even groups and organizations who aim to eliminate bilingual education in
school systems. Richard Rothstein describes one such organization: The English First
Foundation. He also quotes Presidential nominee Bob Dole and says the teaching of English to
immigrants is what we have donesince our founding to speed the melting of our melting
pot. We must spot the practice of multilingual education as means of instilling ethnic pride, or
as a therapy for low self-esteem, or out of elitist guilt over a culture built on the traditions of the
West (674). There is a popular belief that immigrants should assimilate in order to fit into the
western culture of the United Statesand this includes learning English. This is a trend of
thinking within the political system. Rothstein says that this way of thinking appeals to many
and also quotes Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the House: Bilingualism keeps people actively tied
to their old language and habits and maximizes the cost of transitioning to become American
(674).
Some think that immigrants are trying to avoid assimilation in not mastering English.
They believe that the United States should have one common language. In their opinion,
bilingualism will widen the social gap rather than bridge it. Even if second languages are taught
in schools, opponents of bilingual education fear that there are not enough qualified teachers in
order to accommodate for sufficient education. Hiring more teachers in order to teach nonEnglish speakers can be costly.
I believe that advocates and opponents can find a middle ground on this controversy.
First, I will provide some insight on what exactly bilingualism is. Harry Singer expresses this

idea: Some people think of a bilingual as an "equilingual," a person who can perform
proficiently in all aspects of both languages. But a bilingual's achievement may be limited to one
aspect of a language, such as, understanding, speaking, reading, writing, or he may have varying
degrees of ability in all these aspects (445). If children are taught a second language in schools,
perhaps they do not have to be perfectly fluent in that language. To find a line in the middle,
perhaps native English speakers should know a second language enough to communicate with
non-speakers, and those whose native language is one other than English should be bilingual to
an extent that is enough to get by in English-speaking classrooms.
I will also point out goals of both sides of the argument. Both parties wish to provide
Americas children with the best and most effective education possible. Parents hope that their
children learn in the way that is most efficient. What ever method of teaching this is, of course,
will vary greatly from child to child. It will depend greatly on the childrens home environment,
learning style, what type of speakers he or she is surrounded by, etc. That being said, I believe
there is not a cookie-cutter solution for how every single student should be educated. Educators
and advocates alike should aim to help each child be proficient in language areas where it is
needed. I believe that Americans, no matter what background, should not be restricted to only
learning one language. While it is useful and practical for immigrants to have a high level of
English proficiency, their native language should not be completely smothered out. That being
said, English speakers should open their minds to the opportunity to learn another language, and
immigrants should be willing to learn English in order to get along comfortable in the United
States.
This controversy is one that will keep boiling into the years to come. Some want
immigrants to forget their native language and become fluent in English, and some think that
bilingualism is something that should be here to stay. Currently, there are 7.125 billion people in

the world speaking over 6,500 languages. Between all of these people, there is an infinite
amount of knowledge, experience, and wisdom to share. Why not aim to learn how to better
communicate with one another?

Works Cited
Leikin, Mark, Mila Schwartz, and David L. Share. General and specific benefits of bi-literate
and bilingualism: A Russian-Hebrew study of beginning literacy. Reading and Writing:
An Interdisciplinary Journal 23.3-4 (October 2009): 269-292. Print.
Maniates, H., & Uchikoshi, Y. "How Does Bilingual Instruction Enhance English
Achievement? A Mixed-Methods Study of Cantonese-Speaking and Spanish-Speaking
Bilingual Classrooms." Bilingual Research Journal 33.3 (December 2010): 364-385.
Print.
McGroarty, Mary E. Bilingualism in the Workplace. The Annals of the American Academy of
Political and Social Science 511 (September 1990): 159179. Print.
Persky, Ruth L. "Some Thoughts on Teaching Spanish to Elementary School Age Children."
Modern Language Journal 38.7 (November 1954): 369-371. Print.
Rothstein, Richard. Bilingual Education: The Controversy. The Phi Delta Kappan 79.9
(May 1998): 672-678. Print.
Singer, Harry. Bilingualism and Elementary Education. The Modern Language Journal 40.8
(December 1956): 444-458. Print.
Van Eenenaam, Evelyn. "Foreign Languages in the Elementary Schools." The Modern Language
Journal 38.6 (October 1954): 309-313. Print.