Language as a Symbol of Culture
Language represents an important role in one's thought processes and in one's social identity. Social scientists would agree that the movement of people throughout the world for reasons such as temporary labor, political unrest, religious freedom and various others all make bilingualism a necessary tool of communication. Kenji Hakuta writes, in Mirror of Language; The Debate on Bilingualism, "it is not enough to know the English equivalents of words in some other language, but rather it is necessary to understand the thought that is being conveyed."5 It is necessary to know what implications words have to a particular culture.
America's desire to remain monolingual is motivated by the same kind of desire that drives many other nations. That desire is to remain culturally pure and language is one way in which the country has tried to achieve that purity. The desire becomes problematic for America simply because it is by virtue of its own policy, a nation of immigrants. There is no cultural purity. True there is a dominant culture, but America lacked cultural purity from its early beginnings.
Historically, the colonies of the young Americas existed under the rule of the British Crown. Northern and western Europeans were early "immigrants" to the region and considered settlers of the new world- if we ignore the fact that a thriving civilization of Native American Indians had already settled here. Putting aside that argument, pre 1776 immigrant colonists helped to shape the idea that immigrants to the new world should be those who were most like themselves- English speaking Europeans who were also law abiding. Those who were likely to disobey the laws of the land, (such that they were at that time) were not welcome by the Quakers of Pennsylvania. A 1792 statute was aimed at protecting residents from potential immigrants who were likely to become "public charges." The story in brief is that the English- speaking were most preferred as settlers.
There were good reasons for wanting English-speaking individuals. Those same goals are in place today, only they are a bit harder to attain given the influx of non- English speaking immigrants. One goal stemmed from the idea that English-speaking immigrants would be more easily assimilated into the existing culture. The colonists were of the belief that those who did not already speak the language would very soon learn it because it was a necessary tool for their survival . Colonists believed that by learning the language immigrants were pledging their loyalty to America's system of values. It meant that the existing culture would not be disrupted and that all would work toward the same goal of forging a new nation with a new cultural identity- an American culture.
. Here are two opposing viewpoints taken from Education in America. I offer them simply because they appear to have the best interest of the children at heart, although one supports bilingual transition, the other supports English immersion. Both agree, however that English is the medium of political, cultural and social unity.
Rita Esquivel, director of the U.S. Office of Bilingual Education and Language Minority advocates bilingual education because she feels that it is necessary for helping each group appreciate its cultural heritage. Her hope is comprehension and respect for the values transmitted through language. " A new language means learning new values, new customs, adopting new ways of thinking about yourself and about the world around you. Learning a new language gives one the power to enter, literally a new world. Each language we know, according to Esquivel, "allows us access to a worldview, to particular ways of thinking, for a range of feelings, to interpretations of reality unique to that language." 6
Students of bilingual programs receive the better of two worlds. Through their native language, they learn skills of reading, writing, arithmetic and their other subjects while they are being taught English. This method decreases their chances of falling behind their anglophone peers because now they have knowledge of the subject matter, which makes it easier to transfer that information to English.
Rosalie Porter, head of bilingual programs in Newton, Massachusetts counters Esquivel's argument with the idea that students are handicapped by bilingual education and that bilingual education programs fail to prepare language minority students for high school graduation. As for jobs, she points out that educating children in their native language rather than in English severely reduces their opportunities for social and economic advancement. She advocates immersion into English-only classes.
From Porter's position, bilingual education tends to establish a limited English vocabulary and reduced language skills. A student who is taught in two languages will rely on the language that is most familiar and spoken with the greatest ease. As a result, without sensitivity to or capability in the English language, students of bilingual education will have to compete against others who have rich English vocabularies.
While the points made in both arguments are well taken, can we simply ignore the fact that immersing a child into English without an adequate period of transition from his/her native language places the child at an immediate disadvantage? Can we ignore the fact that English-only students are also handicapped because of their acquisition of one language? Because the United States is comprised of multiethnic groups, its languages, as well as its culture would reflect the same. Statistics show that there are students in American schools who speak some 152 different languages other than English. For many, the introduction to a common language - "English" will enhance their ability to communicate with others who also speak a native language different from their own. Perhaps language training should be advocated for all students.
The 1968 Bilingual Education Act was designed to remove barriers to learning. The intent was to provide access to equal education and mastery of English would be the key to that access. According to some, to date, bilingual education programs have not helped children make the transition from their native languages to English. Additionally, students of bilingual programs are segregated from their english-speaking peers at school and alienated from the larger society (with its various languages).
According to others bilingual education that is based on a period of transition is the best method for socializing children and assimilating them into the American culture.