The Importance Of Bilingual Education In Texas

Bilingual education and economic inequality are just two of the many issues Texans deal with in today’s society. In “What is Bilingual Education,” Stephen Krashen defines bilingual education as “any use of two languages in school – by teachers or students or both – for a variety of social and pedagogical (educational) purposes” (1). Bilingual education confrontations in Texas are due to the overwhelming amount and diversity of immigrants in the past fifteen years. While good for population growth, bilingual issues are putting stress on our education system. It seems society will always be adjusting to incoming students with language barriers, yet instead of helping them in the best possible way, we continue to debate on how people feel. (Krashen 2)
With this growth, Texas has had an influx of different cultures and beliefs. Since Texas is closest to the border of Mexico, it is only logical that the majority of this culture contains Hispanic principles. Spanish is just as common as English in Texas therefore making it beneficial for both parties when participating in bilingual studies. Bilingual education has both pros and cons in our scholastic culture. One positive asset is that studies have shown that bilingual education has worked; making it is easier for students to learn a second language while subsequently helping them to improve their first language. Bilingual individuals are found to have not only more opportunities when it comes to social advantages, but are also found to excel in more things than monolinguals. Bilinguals also have refined linguistic abilities and cognitive abilities. (Curtis