English Language Learners (Issues That Concern You)

English Language Learners (Issues That Concern You)
By Tamara Roleff
Number Of Pages: 144
Publication Date: 2009-03-13
ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0737743476
ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780737743470

Mexican immigrants make up the largest group of immigrants in the United States and are often the focus of debates about English language learners and bilingual education. It is this inability to speak English—or at the very least, their poor understanding of written and spoken English—that fuels the debate over what steps private businesses and the government should take so that English language learners can communicate with English and non-English speakers.
The controversy starts in the schools with the question of whether students should be taught in bilingual or English immersion classrooms.
Opponents of bilingual education assert that immersion is the best way to learn, both school subjects and the English language. Immersion is just that—foreign-language students are completely immersed in English with all subjects taught solely in English.
Supporters of immersion teaching maintain that children learn to speak, read, write, and think in English very quickly, and usually within six months they become comfortable enough with their new language that they will start using English outside of the classroom.

Contents:

1. Bilingual Teaching Is Beneficial to English Language Learners
2. Bilingual Teaching Has Little Effect in Improving English Fluency
3. English Immersion Is the Best Way to Teach English Language Learners
4. All Students Should Receive a Bilingual Education
5. English Should Be the Official Language of the United States
6. Mandating English as the Official Language of the United States Is Unnecessary
7. Demand for English Classes Outstrips Supply
8. The Number of English Classes Is Adequate
9. English-Only Laws Do Not Help Immigrants Gain Fluency in English
10. English-Only Policies in the Workplace Discriminate Against Workers
11. English-Only Policies in the Workplace Help Workers Assimilate
12. English-Only Ballots Are Discriminatory
13. English-Only Ballots Are Not Discriminatory
14. The English Language Is Not Threatened in the United States
15. Teachers Should Help Preserve Their Students’ Culture
16. Adolescent Immigrants Have a Difficult Time Assimilating
Appendix: What You Should Know About English Language Learners
Appendix: What You Should Do About English Language Learners
Organizations to Contact
Bibliography
Index

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