Some people say that by the year 2006, Hispanics will be the majority in the U. Many of the Hispanics who live in the U.S. are bilingual, meaning they speak both Spanish and English, but a lot of them don't. Many of the Hispanics here don't speak English, making communication difficult to almost impossible. Hispanics immigrate to the U.S. to find better jobs, to flee political wars, or because they have family here. Some come here to give their children a good education because in their country, education is poor or scarce. The problem is that almost all of the children immigrating from Spanish-speaking countries only speak the Spanish language, and in the U.S the main language in the country and in schools is English. Some states like California and Arizona, where the Hispanic population is immense, have tried to eliminate bilingual classes because the government feels like the students in bilingual classes will not learn English. Bilingual classes are an essential part of the education of these Spanish-speaking students because the classes are taught in the only language they understand.
Students in bilingual programs are taught lessons in Spanish and then are taught the same lesson in English. This leads to better understanding of the English language. Students in bilingual programs are more active than Spanish- speaking students in all-English classes. To the Spanish-speaking student, a lesson that was already taught to them in Spanish will make more sense when taught in English. This way it's easier for them to switch to all English speaking classes.
To a student who comes to the U.S. not knowing any English, the world could be a harsh place. Without communication to the English-speaking people, the student only has his/her family to talk to. With bilingual classes, the student is around kids just like him/her and feels comfortable and confident in his/her surroundings. If a student is placed in an all-English speaking class, the subject discussed will not be understood.
