Life & Language: A Shift in Teaching English-learners

Countries around the world have encouraged bilingual or multilingual education for generations. Many high schools in Europe, South America and Asia even require other students to take immersion courses in languages other than their own (this sometimes involves taking even basic courses in another language).

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have the United States’ monolingual approach to language education (of which educators and linguists both in the U.S. and abroad have been critical).

As one might imagine, there are many schools of thought: emphasize English first while embracing other languages, some say. Develop a manner by which young people who do not speak U.S. English natively can eventually  grasp the language socioculturally and linguistically (while emphasizing that English is the norm), others suggest.

But, when it comes time to make decisions on multilingual education, who’s making the decision? Are said decision makers in-touch with those whom their decisions affect?

According to an article earlier this month in Education Week, New York State seems to be developing a humane approach to English-learning education.

The approach is based on a set of teacher-developed guidelines that address English language learners’ (ELLs) needs and learning while keeping in mind the benefits behind English-language education.

This approach is a prime example of what some have called the collective or democratic classroom—a space in which educators establish solidarity among the multitude of experiences represented in a learning environment.

For instance, New York’s approach would both encourage ELLs to learn English (so that they may be able to navigate and learn in a system of which they may have not directly chosen to be a part) while also fostering full literacy in their native tongues.

Maybe the most telling phrase in the report came from Angelica Infante, the state’s associate commissioner for the office of bilingual education and foreign-language services.

“Bilingualism and biliteracy are assets,” she said.

Although hundreds of countries worldwide have embraced Infante’s sentiment, it is a significant step in the U.S.’s case. It will certainly be interesting to see if New York’s approach becomes a national norm.