Students Sink or Swim: English Immersion Programs
Schools cannot ignore the large growing English Language Learner (ELL) populations of students. Those schools who oppose bilingual education turn to English Immersion programs for ELL students as a solution.
There are two types of English immersion programs, structured or “sheltered,” and full immersion or “sink or swim.” In sheltered English immersion, the curriculum focuses on building the ELL student’s English vocabulary while they are supported in English Second Language (ESL) classes. Full immersion, on the other hand, places ELL students into mainstream English classes with no special aid or assistance. The English Second Language directory recommends that full immersion programs are for an “intermediate-and advanced-level student who [has] already developed some mastery in English.” In contrast, recently arrived immigrant students with low proficiency in English are being placed into English-only classes.
The purpose of immersion programs are to assimilate students into the American culture through direct contact with the language, and do not value or acknowledge the cultural and linguistic characteristics of a child. Former speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich notably stated in 2007 that “we should replace bilingual education with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and so they learn the language of prosperity…not the language of living in a ghetto.” The discriminating words of Gingrich express how many Americans view ELL immigrants, and do not value the cultural and economic resources immigrants bring to U.S. Schools. This attitude is reflected when students of different levels of English proficiency are all taught homogeneously in immersion programs.
Students are forced to assimilate through immersion programs because these programs do not encourage or acknowledge the value of a student's native language; their native language is lost as they learn English. Schools believe that learning English is vital for the success of students. Being bilingual opens doors to opportunities and allows a person to stand out to employers.The economic value of bilingualism in the job market will be taken away from generations of workers along with their cultural identity.
Many success stories of students have been publicized, but the reality is that not all ELL students are the same or learn the same way. Rosalie Porter, the director of Bilingual and ESL Programs for the city of Newton (Massachusetts), found that "within two years, most students had learned enough English not to need a special program. They were in regular classroom with other kids.” Can students from other states show the same results? The answer is no, because we cannot guarantee that students in our communities will have the same result as those in other far away states.
The National Study of School Effectiveness for Language Minority Students' Long-Term Academic Achievement concluded that ELL students placed into English-only classes are far less likely to succeed. After receiving 4-7 years of dual-language education, bilingual children out performed monolingual students in all subjects.
Schools should not place ELL students should not into English immersion programs because they are ineffective.