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Multicultural education in america
Multicultural education in america
Multicultural education in america
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Living in California comes with a social-cultural belief that the only approved and acceptable language to be spoken is English. Looking at our schools and diversely multi-cultural society it’s quite the opposite. From an education perspective we see the influx of languages and students either born or migrating to America. Most non-English speaking children today are now born within the United States. Our civil rights state that we are equal in human rights to receive the same treatment even in educational programs. In California our primary language taught in public school education is English based. Our English Ethnocentrism brought on the Nationality Act of 1906 that required immigrants to speak English for naturalization purposes which lead to the Security Act of 1950 that required reading and writing as well in English.
Throughout our historical evolution of civil rights we saw several instances of fighting for the equalization of rights including our non-English speaking students getting fair treatment. Looking at the historical foundation of language and instruction for English Learners, parents became enraged about the discrimination taking place in our public school systems. Major historical changes have taken place since the early 1900’s “sink or swim” mentality of public education of English Learners. According to http://www.colorincolorado.org/policy/history/ the timeline provided below some of the key indicators were established to lead us to where we are today in equal education rights for all students.
• 1964 Civil Rights Act: Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in the operation of all federally assisted programs.
• The Bilingual Education Act, Title VII of the Elem...
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...provements might help impact our ever evolving multi-cultural California state. As teachers we can incorporate students native language as a part of learning while teaching them the requirements that California has set as a standard language.
Works Cited
Foundations for Multilingualism in Education (Caslon, 2011) ELL Policy History. Retrieved from http://www.colorincolorado.org/policy/history/
A Chronology of Federal Law and Policy Impacting Language Minority Students
By: Texas Education Agency (2011) Retrieved from (http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/50856/).
Krashen, Stephen D Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning
Pearson Custom Text Ch. 17 pg. 353
O’Connell, Jack, Superintendent of Public Instruction. State of Education remarks, 2006 www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/.../elfaq.doc
Pearson Custom Text Education SPE 481 Chapter 17 pg 328-353
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (n.d.). The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/titlevii.cfm
The issue of equality in education is not a new problem. In 1787, our federal government required all territories petitioning for statehood to provide free education for all citizens. As part of this requirement, every state constitution included, “an education clause, which typically called for a “thorough and efficient” or “uniform” system of public schools” (School Funding 6). Despite this requirement, a “uniform” system of schools has yet to be achieved in this country for a variety of reasons, many of which I will discuss later on. During the early part of th...
Language can bring people together but can also isolate. The United States is known as a melting pot, not only does that refer to culture but also the many different languages. We know of language barriers, but very seldom do we think of the language barriers within our borders. Even with the language barriers it solidifies the need for a national language, the United States of America should allow the freedom to express one’s culture while maintaining English as our national language, therefore offering common ground to its citizens.
"Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964." ():-. Retrieved from http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/titlevii.cfm on Mar 17, 2014
While reading this article, one of the most shocking sections was when the students were talking to Monzó and sharing their outlook on their place and their language’s place in society. These students, even at this early age, are feeling how devalued their first language has been. They feel like they have to speak the right* English, only use English in public places, never their first language, and that they must assimilate to the American culture as much as possible. This reminded me of a chapter in Lippi Green (2012)’s text. Within this chapter, Lippi-Green (2012) discusses how in the United States Spanish speakers are not only expected to learn English, but they are expected to learn and utilize the right* English determined by the majority and assimilate entirely to American culture.
Recently immigrated parents often learn English from their children. Over 70% of Hispanic Americans in California are English Language Learners (ELL) and are given the resour...
Due to the rise in immigration and the demographics of classrooms in America are changing. As a result, English Language Learners are becoming more common in schools. English Language Learners make up one of the largest demographics in the American Classroom (Flynn & Hill, 2005). These students have been observed to have a major achievement gap because many of these students are placed in mainstream classrooms with basic literacy skills. Many English Language Learners are born in the United States (Goldenberg, 2008). These students have only attended the school system in America. However, the achievement levels are nowhere near the level of their peers. According to Calderon, Slavin, and Sanchez (2011) “these students, who have been in U.S. schools since kindergarten, are still classified as limited English proficient when they reach middle or high school— suggesting strongly that preschool and elementary programs are not adequately addressing the needs of English learners.” The achievement gap between English Language Learners and native English speaking students is extremely high. English Language Learners tests scores are low. According to the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress, “fourth grade ELLs scored 36 points lower than their peers on the reading section of the test and 25 points below their peers in math. The results in eighth grade were worse with a difference of 42 points in reading and 37 points in math” (Goldenberg, 2008). The gap between ELLs and non-ELLs are three to eighteen points larger then students from low-income households.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that any program that receives federal funding and assistance may not discriminate based on race, national origin, or skin color. All students are allowe...
... Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination in employment practices and public accommodations.
Not to mention, speaking English is a part of American heritage. Society should adapt to American culture and values, which means all American citizens should speak the nation’s primary language: English. If people refuse to speak and/or learn English, those individuals are rejecting American culture. America has always been extremely accepting and welcoming to all people of different backgrounds, so people should accept and adopt America’s primary language as well(Ciamarra). By establishing a common language among all people, the nation will thrive and
According to the 2011 census, over 20.8 percent of the United States population spoke another language other than English (www.us-english.org). Language barriers, cultural differences, and immigration have been a part of life in the United States for decades. Language is considered a vital tool in the construction of someone’s identity and an expression of culture. In the last 200 years immigrants have chosen to make the United States their home, but some proceeded with caution by slowly adapting to the English language and culture.
In recent years, large numbers of immigrants have migrated into the USA from Mexico, Philippine, Vietnam, China, and other counties. As of 2009, immigrants comprised 12.5% (38.5 million) of the total U.S. population (Batalova and Aaron par. 7). In 2011, the U.S. Census Bureau found that 50.4% of children younger than the age of one were Hispanic, black, Asian American, or belonging to other minority groups (Morello and Ted par. 2), and more than 60 million people who are 5 years old and older spoke a language other than English at home (Camille 3). Faced with the cultural diversity brought by immigrants, many nativists worry that the United States will lose the English language as an important core of a common cultural unity. With the help of organizations such as U.S. English and ProEnglish, the English-only movement is experiencing its second resurgence since the 1980’s.
Crawford, James. Effective Language Education Practices and Native Language Survival. Reyhner, Jon. Montana:8m (NALI) Institute, 1990. Print.
English becoming the official Language of the United States is not just a controversial topic, it is necessary to keep America alive. American history and tradition is falling, and the ground on which she was founded is slowly fading. Americans must wake up to the importance of preserving the history of their culture. America is considered to be the greatest country in the world by even some who are not Americans. The “American Dream” is something people fantasize over all around the world. In order to keep the desire to be American, one must truly understand what it takes to be American. English is essential in living the American life. English should be the official language of the United States to give the people what they want, to recognize the historic role, and to limit controversy.
America, a country built on immigration dating back to the early 1600s Mayflower voyage, continues to thrive as a melting pot full of various cultures and ethnics. In the past, many immigrants came to America due to the offered freedoms and equality, yet today, many naturalized citizens suffer with injustices, including with educational practices. The use of bilingual education, which is teaching students in both English and their native language, has become a controversial topic. In 1968, the Bilingual Education Act, which recognized and offered education to students who were lacking English, was passed, yet the topic still seems questionable to some. Bilingual education provides a variety of beneficial attributes to equally help foreigners