Catelin Reyes

Dr. Frye

TBED-3420-70

5/4/17

Bilingual: Dual Language Immersion

A person is bilingual if they can communicate fluidly and with ease in both languages;

the native and the second language. If you have the vocabulary to express your feelings (in both

languages) without any difficulty you may be bilingual. However, there are many opinions out

there on the actual definition of bilingualism. In a video called What Does It Mean To Be

Bilingual, many expressed their opinions on defining themselves as a bilingual.` People that

spoke more than two languages admitted and confirmed that they don’t consider themselves to

be bilingual.

Even though some were able to establish a conversation in many languages (more than

two). They didn't feel comfortable or weren't able to express their feelings in any other language

other than their native. For some, being bilingual means being able to communicate effortlessly

in two languages, even if one was learned later in life and communication takes an occasional

detour.

"Others take error-free grammar and perfect pronunciation as the benchmarks. And it’s

not just we mere mortals who are divided, scholars are equally split because the criteria and

measurements are simply too vague and varied to settle on any one definition. From this, we can

at least draw one conclusion: Bilingualism is a relative label, a question of degree rather than
dichotomy. It’s also a fundamentally subjective phenomenon, one that is first and foremost felt."

(Maurin)

In other words, bilingual people are those that grew up speaking both languages and that

can switch effortlessly between the two. You must be able to receive the language in its totality

including words of expressions, culture and grammatical understanding. For instance, Maurin

states the following, "It may be that somebody speaks a language perfectly from childhood yet

still doesn’t see herself as bilingual because she doesn’t live in that country and doesn’t feel in

touch with the culture, humor and social signifiers".

For a long time bilingualism was thought to have a negative impact on children. Then in

1962, a study from Peal and Lambert that looked at the relationship between intelligence and

language changed the fact. "More recent studies have even claimed that bilingual people have a

stronger “meta-linguistic awareness,” which applies to problem solving in areas outside of

language, such as mathematics." (Konnikova) This is when many public and private schools

started implementing bilingual programs as part of their curriculums. One of these programs in

particular caught my attention and is the two way immersion also known as dual language.

Dual immersion programs include English native speakers and native speakers of a

foreign language. "The goals of dual immersion programs are to develop bilingualism and

biliteracy, academic achievement, and cross-cultural competencies for all students." (school

district) Learning a language can feel very overwhelming and at times impossible. However,

with the appropriate tools the transitioning can be smooth. Of course the two way immersion

program is a great tool to facilitate for students the process of learning a new language.

Nonetheless, like everything in life, there are advantages and disadvantages along with the

program.
 Many people believe the best way for a student to excel in a foreign language is by being

part of an immersion program. Advocates suggest that the younger the child the easier it will be

for them to capture skills from both languages; due to the fact, there are many daycares and

preschools that offer this two way program. This program can be specifically useful if neither of

the parents speak the foreign language. Immersion schools is an excellent tool for parents that

want their children to be fluent in a foreign language.

Research has proved that students learn literary skills in the immersion language and then

understand everything in the foreign language. For example, an English speaking student

attending an immersion school( offers two way language) will learn initial literacy skills and will

start understanding a foreign language very quickly. In addition, children learn far more from

other kids than from any adult

In the bilingual program, students are exposed to many cultures that they don’t encounter

on a daily basis. " And, of course, full immersion schools show students how to think globally,

yet act locally – a mindset that is becoming more and more important these days." (Chen) In

other words, the dual language program teaches students about other cultures and traditions at

the same time that they are implementing skills to their daily living.

Not only do students learn about different cultures, students are also able to become

proficient in their first language. There are a lot more factors that come in to play for bilinguals.

These types of programs are great for those that want to be able to read and write their native and

a foreign language.

"Children who have some foundation in a language can really hit the fast track when

attending an immersion school. But even children who do not have a foundation tend to do much
better than their parents could ever hope. Most schools admit a good number of children with no

prior exposure to the immersion language. " (Chen)

Three full days per week is typically the minimum (or five half days) for most immersion

schools. Your child’s attendance also depends upon his or her abilities for language, motivation,

outgoing nature, and other factors. "Growing up with multiple languages is the easiest, fastest,

and most effortless way to learn a foreign language. For your baby, it will be as natural as

learning one language is to all babies". (multilingual association) For this reason, it is very

important to implement a dual language program in to your children's education early in life.

Many families lose their native language because they lacked the beauty of such

programs as part of their education curriculum. Others because they choose not to speak their

language. For example, my son Caihden understand and speaks Spanish beautifully. However,

for the past few months I've notice he has been trying to avoid speaking Spanish.

I approached him and asked why doesn’t he speak Spanish anymore. Caihden confessed

to me that a few of his classmates told him cool people only speak English and that Spanish is

only for adults. despite of my reassurance, my son doesn’t want to speak Spanish anymore.

Similar situation occur all around the world and events like such can cause many families to lose

control of their emotions and sacrifice their native language; something that will be regretted in

the near future.

For instance, "Parents tell us time and time again that they regret losing their own

heritage language when growing up, something frequently reported on by the media as well.

Here is one example:

Daniel told me that his mother, who was born in Mexico and immigrated to the United States as

a child, suffered from racial prejudice, much of it because she didn't speak English. She decided

that her children wouldn't live through the same humiliations; so her children would speak only

English. In retrospect, Daniel understands his mother's love and motivations, but he still regrets

that tough sacrifice. "My mother's decision hurt us in the long run," he told me. "When we

started working, we discovered that speaking Spanish would have been an advantage for us in

the workplace."... Besides allowing their child to miss out on the great opportunity of being

bilingual, parents who don't stimulate the learning of their mother tongue are ensuring that their

children lose a valuable cultural heritage, the last and most important connection to their roots

". (multilingual association)

It is highly recommended that parents encourage their children to speak their native

tongue and don’t let them miss out on the opportunity of being bilingual. Let's say yes to two-

way immersion and lets enjoy the beauty of language and culture diversity. Of course, you have

to listen to both sides of a story. Many people say dual language programs are not as great as

they sound or seem. "Raising a multilingual baby is a practice fraught with misconceptions.

Everyone has an opinion and may be more than happy to share it with you. However, extensive

medical studies on language development in the last 10-20 years have proven most of these

myths wrong". (multilingual association)

However, the advantages of dual language surpasses the disadvantages of the program

itself. Dual language and language diversity go hand in hand; two-way immersion encourages

cultural and language diversity preservation. People from different background bring in new

information. Diversity also enhances creativity; as a consequence, diversity will and can only

make the world smarter. For instance, when there is a problem and we bring a group of people
together looking for a solution. New information is recognized as well as different point of views

and opinions.

The United States is a cosmopolitan country , where we can see many different cultures ,

and the result of the fusion of many cultures that have been coming here over the past centuries.

Thanks to the arrival of different cultures to the United States. This country has grown thanks to

the contribution of many, like Europeans, Asians, Africans, and etc. Therefore, is of highly

importance that we are able to understand the differences in people's backgrounds particularly in

the American Society.

Since American Society is so diverse it is essential to respect and inform ourselves and

students about the value that diversity (language and cultural) has in our society. Understanding

the difference in people's background in American Society is the only way to see different

alternatives. To embrace different ways of thinking. In my opinion, diversity is essential in

American Society because it enriches the cultural and social level of our society. We all have the

right as individuals to follow the religion and culture that come from our background. However,

learning about different religions and culture can be very informative and entertaining. Let us be

willing to learn new things; we all act different and think different.
 Bibliography

Chen, Grace. “The Pros and Cons of Full Immersion Programs.” PublicSchoolReview.com, 19 May 2008,

www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/full-language-immersion-programs-in-public-schools. Accessed 2

May 2017.

GmbH, Lesson Nine, and Babbel.com. “What Does It Mean To Be Bilingual?” The Babbel Magazine,

www.babbel.com/en/magazine/the-bilingual-brain. Accessed 2 May 2017.

Konnikova, Maria. “Is Bilingualism Really an Advantage?” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2015,

www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/bilingual-advantage-aging-brain. Accessed 2 May 2017.

“What Is Dual Immersion.” Dual Immersion - What Is Dual Immersion?, School District, 2009,

www.tcsd.org/education/components/faq/faq.php?sectiondetailid=16224%E2%80%9D%2BThe%2BBab

bel%2BMagazine%2C%2Bwww.babbel.com%2Fen%2Fmagazine%2Fthe-bilingual-

brain.%2BAccessed%2B2%2BMay%2B2017. Accessed 2 May 2017.