Aylin Rodriguez

Ms. Angulo

AP English 11 Period 1

23 February 2017

Bilingual Education and Why it should be Taught in Schools

In his autobiography, Hunger of Memory, The Education of Richard Rodriguez, the

author, Richard Rodriguez argues against the teaching of bilingual education in schools and

claims that bilingual education takes away a students public identity in their social life and

education. Rodriguez claims bilingual education alters ones life on education, it changes ones

cultural identity. Rodriguez makes many claims throughout his autobiography, but his claim

about bilingual education is very imprecise and I dont agree with his claim. Bilingual education

should be taught in schools, it is an essential learning system in a students cultural education and

identity and students highly benefits from it.

The definition of bilingual education, involves teaching academic content in two

languages, in a native and secondary language with varying amounts of each language used in

accordance with the program model, according to the dictionary. Bilingual language is mostly

taught in schools, from elementary to high school, it mostly consists of the languages English

and Spanish. Bilingual education has many benefits like cognitive for students who are learning

to know another second language. Theresa Deussen, of Education Northwest, writes about the

benefits of Bilingualism in her article, Treating Language as a Strength: The Benefits of

Bilingualism. In her article, Deussen states by recent research that, Young bilingual children

also show more awareness of how language works and have better social interactions skills.

Bilingual education benefits essentially to young students, as they grow up they learn different
concepts with the same meaning. Students learning two languages learn to deal with conflicting

and verbal issues, they learn by depth how to solve problems if one idea doesnt work.

Bilingual education also benefits from cultural. For immigrant families, it is very difficult

to live in a country that they are unfamiliar with. Deussen states that, raising bilingual children

who can speak the language of their family and friends back in their country of origin preserves

important relationships, traditions, and identity. At the same time, highly developed English

skills provide the ability to participate fully in mainstream American life. Bilingual children

knowing two languages, help their families live in an unfamiliar place. The English skills, help

the students be accustomed into American life and help their parents in small but important

things. For example, a bilingual child can help their parents translate an important phone call or

document. A bilingual child can help another student knowing another language. A bilingual

doctor can help with patients who dont know english. A bilingual teacher can help students

struggling with a foreign language. A bilingual translator, can translate an english film to another

language. A bilingual person can change the world.

Richard Rodriguez grew up being a bilingual student, but he strongly disagrees with the

teachings of bilingual education in schools. In his autobiography, Hunger of Memory, The

Education of Richard Rodriguez, Rodriguez states, I grew up victim to a disabling confusion.

As I grew fluent in English, I no longer could speak Spanish with confidence. I continued to

understand spoken Spanish. And in high school, I learned how to read and write Spanish. But for

many years I could not pronounce it. A powerful guilt blocked my spoken words; an essential

glue was missing whenever Id try to connect to words to form sentences. I would be unable to

break a barrier of sound, to speak freely. I would speak, or try to speak, Spanish, and I would

manage to utter halting, hiccuping sounds that betrayed my unease. In the quote, Rodriguez
expresses how he was forced to assimilate into an American society. He grew up learning with

English and losing the ability to speak spanish. Rodriguez claims that bilingual education

damages a students education and forces the student into leaving their culture and assimilate into

a new one. But what Rodriguez doesnt understand is that bilingual education helps a student in

life decisions. The article, The Benefits of Being Bilingual states that, Children who learn to

read in their home language have a strong foundation to build upon when they learn a second

language. They can easily transfer their knowledge about reading to their second language,

(Pez and Rinaldi, 2006). Bilingual education is very important to a student. Learning two

languages can help a student benefit in life and have a different perspective than other people.

Rodriguez believes that being bilingual can ruin a childs view of life, but Rodriguez doesnt

understand that everyone is different and has a different view. Rodriguez feels that whatever

happened to him, will happen to every bilingual child. It all depends on what the child feels on

how they expressive themselves and their knowledge to the world. Bilingual education should be

taught in schools. Many schools are already doing it, like Foster Elementary and Walnut

Elementary in Baldwin Park, California, who both have a Dual Language program for students to

learn English and Spanish.

All in all, bilingual education should be taught in schools. Being bilingual makes a

student feel proud of themselves that they know two languages. Being bilingual helps a

community come together and work together. Being bilingual helps a student to learn and

express their thoughts. I strongly disagree with Rodriguez claim on bilingual education, bilingual

education creates many benefits to a child, like cognitive, cultural, economic and academic.

Bilingual education is and always will be, an essential part of a students education.