Immersion

This semester I am taking a class titled, "Social Foundations of Education."  Each week we focus on another socially controversial topic of education, such as gender, race, economic and political differences among students and families, and schooling theories.  This week we are focusing on language and we were required to watch some interesting videos.  Of course, as a bilingual education major, these videos were particularly relevant to me, but I like that all preservice teachers taking this class, whether bilingual or not, are required to watch the videos for the class.  The reality is that bilingual education is such a hidden concept and we typically are unaware of its existence unless we were involved in a bilingual program or know someone who was.

Here are the videos we watched:
This video discusses a Spanish immersion program in Milwaukee

This video discusses dual immersion in Utah

Both videos are very interesting and paint bilingual education in a positive light.

What I like most about these videos, though, is that they don't just illustrate how bilingual education is beneficial for non-native English speakers in our country.  In fact, they do just the opposite.  They advocate the involvement of native English speakers in the bilingual programs so that they are learning a new language too!  Critics of bilingual education often forget that it's not just for immigrants or people who are non-native English speakers.  They are ignorant of the fact that the most successful models of bilingual education actually benefit native English speakers, as well, by introducing them to a new language and new cultures too.