Williams 1

Leah Williams

Professor Fields

UWRT-1102-012

26 April 2017

Final Inquiry

Efficiency is a significant issue. Language learning is a skill that is developed over

time, regardless of if it is presented traditionally or by dual immersion. The lack of noticeable

results in a small amount of time may be disappointing and a matter worth arguing over

whether it is beneficial to the United States to transition from the way languages are taught

now to the dual immersion program.

Dual immersion could conceivably not be for everyone. Parents on Adoption.com

addressed concerns on whether their child could thrive in the program. One worry was that

children could be too shy and being in a second-language-only environment could be too

much social and academic pressure. However, good immersion programs are structured on

easing children into the second language. It would be just as daunting as moving to a new

school, regardless of if it was immersion-based or not. Most immersion schools do not accept

new students past a certain grade level, usually kindergarten, so that a student wont fall

behind; most students who attend begin in English-only classrooms and thus start on the same

level (Pros and Cons).

Another argument against dual immersion is that these programs have not yet

developed fully and consequently might not be successful. This is only true in countries that

have not given dual immersion programs a chance. If the United States can adopt the program

and learn from the steps taken by other countries, such as in Europe, it can be incredibly

successful. Other countries have had dual immersion implemented for a while, so it is not a

new idea, just one that the United States needs to fully grasp and modify as needed. It cannot
 Williams 2

be developed to a sufficient magnitude unless the United States starts somewhere and these

developments wont begin until dual immersion programs are fully embraced and given a fair

opportunity.

An issue that will vary from area to area will be finding qualified teachers. It is

probable that dual immersion programs will be limited to specific locations until there is a

broader selection of teachers. This, however, is another issue that can be fixed over time

because once dual immersion becomes the norm, children will be learning a second language

more effectively than before and thus have a chance to become truly proficient and fluent.

Since the twentieth century, there has been suspicion of interference between two

languages and thus bilingualism was looked at as being cognitively destructive. While this

interference does exist, specifically because evidence suggests that a bilingual persons brain

activates both languages simultaneously and therefore have chances of blocking each other, it

is not as much of a hindrance as originally thought. Instead, because of this internal

conflict, the brain is able to strengthen its cognitive muscles which adds to the cognitive

advantages bilinguals have over monolinguals (Bhattacharjee).

Once the United States fully embraces dual immersion programs, in time there will be

more Americans who can fluently speak another language apart from English. From there, the

biggest focus should be on how the program can be improved if there are any areas that it

falls short on, like how to handle students who may lag behind the rest of the students in the

class. Further issues and research could arise such as if dual immersion programs should

target a specific language or shift attention towards languages that are prominent in specific

areas. If the former, Spanish would arguably be the choice because it is second only to

English as the most spoken language in the United States (Ryan). However, the latter could

be arguably more beneficial for communities; though it could create a divide between the

population, English would still be common ground.

 Williams 3

Dual immersion would provide one solution to the United States failure to catch up

internationally. The education system as deemphasized knowing a second language because

English is considered the universal language and thus bilingualism seems unnecessary, but

todays world is so interconnected and globalized that such argument falls short.

Bilingualism improves cognitive skills in the brain that are not just language related.

Bilingual people have better problem-solving skills, multitasking skills, and improved

attention to detail (Marian). How a bilingual person thinks and perceives in one language can

vary altogether from the other (Bhattacharjee). Bilingualism does not just benefit the

individual and English-language learners, but the country as a whole. Imagine what can be

achieved, when the United States has a bigger population of bilinguals than monolinguals,

because of the cognitive improvements and global understanding. When dual immersion has

been implemented long enough, the gap should continue to decrease until it is bridged

completely and the United States and its citizens will reap the benefits.

Until the United States adopts bilingual learning appropriately, it will fall behind other

countries. Dual immersion early into a childs learning experience is the countrys best bet of

effective proficiency in a second language and should be implemented immediately. Once

executed, the gap between monolingual parents and bilingual children will decrease until

Americans are all bilingual. A bilingual population will only benefit the country over time

through the advantages of knowing a second language, but this can only be thoroughly

achieved if the United States revolutionizes the language learning system.