Proposition 58 repealed bilingual education restrictions enacted by Proposition 227 in 1998. ... Proposition 227 also required limited English proficient students who were in separate classes to be put into regular classes, ended bilingual programs, and required students to be taught in an English-only environment.
Proposition 227 required California public schools to teach ESL students in special classes that are taught all in English. The provision had the effect of eliminating 'bilingual' classes in most cases. Prop 227 shortened the time ESL students would spend in ESL classes. ESL students were required to move into all English classes in one year. The purpose of Proposition 227 was for students to quickly learn English so they could be acculturated into American society at a faster rate thus improving grades and lead to faster entry into the American workplace. Proposition 227 was controversial because of its close proximity to heated political issues including race, immigration and poverty. In 1998, Proposition 227 passed with a margin of 61% to 39%.
When Proposition 227 was passed in 1998, I was studying at Pepperdine University. I remember we were assigned to write a position paper on whether or not we agreed or disagreed with Prop. 227. Should Bilingual Students be taught in an English Only environment or should students be taught allowing them the use of L1? Honestly, I don't remember what side I wrote my paper on for that class, but I do remember there was a lot of heated debate about both sides, for and against English Only. Some people were outraged that Prop. 227 had the effect of dismantling successful bilingual programs while others were relieved that English Only programs were being reinforced so that ESL students could quickly learn English. As I was taking my California Teaching Credential classes at Pepperdine and CSUN, Prop. 227 was the topic of the day.
Proposition 58 gives students and parents the choice if they want to be in an English Only ESL program or if they want to be in a Two Way Immersion Bilingual Program. It authorizes school districts to establish dual language immersion programs for both native and non-native speakers. Prop. 58 repealed the bilingual education restrictions enacted by Prop. 227 in 1998. In November 2016, Prop. 58 passed by a wide margin just like Prop. 227 did in 1998.
I think there is room for both programs, English Only and Two Way Immersion. I think the choice should be up to the students, school district and the parents on what kind of classroom instruction best fits that student. I see advantages in both programs. For instance, the English Only program fulfills many of the Communicative Approach to teaching students their L2 in the same way they learned their L1 by having students acquire their L2 naturally by always speaking the target language similar to the Communicative Approach used by the UCLA French Department where American students speak only in French from day 1 of class.
On the other hand, I also like the Two Way Immersion Bilingual Program because both groups , native and non native speakers get to learn from each others' culture. Language Majority students get to learn Spanish from native speakers while Language Minority students get to learn from native speakers of English. I like the idea of both learning to respect and learn about each others' cultures. After all, you can't learn a language without learning about its culture because I believe learning a second language gives Americans a window into another culture and another way of thinking.
Today, more California students are learning the three Rs in their native languages, aided by a provision that allows public schools to bypass Proposition 227 if parents sign a waiver. According to the state Department of Education, some 50,000 California children are receiving dual instruction in English and another language, including Armenian, German, Mandarin, French, and Korean. This is a small but growing segment of California’s 1.4 million English learners. The National Association for Bilingual Education estimated in 2011 there were 2,000 dual-language programs in U.S. schools, a tenfold increase over the prior decade. (Anderson, 2015)
The back and forth between Prop 227 and Prop 58 illustrates clearly the confusion about exactly what are the goals of ESL and Bilingual Education. It also illustrates the confusion on what is the best way for Emergent Bilingual to learn language, acculturate/assimilate into American culture and/or maintain heritage culture and maintain non-native pride in the minority culture?
As a teacher, I see advantages in both and disadvantages in both approaches to teaching. I hope kind reader, you don't take this as a cop out as I have used both methods successfully to teach the different student groups that I have had the privilege of teaching throughout the years. For me, my main concern is always to see my students succeed and if it means that I use an eclectic bag of tricks, then so be it.
Anderson, Melinda. The Costs of English Only Classroom (2015) The Atlantic
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