Immigrant Integration

The Solution to Immigrant Integration

Children that come from a bicultural background are less likely to drop out. The reason for this is that these children can draw on both cultures to help them understand a problem. English as a Second Language Programs (ESL) have been very successful so far but these programs are rarely offered in public schools. Public schools without an ESL program force children to learn English by total immersion. The sooner bilingual education is introduced the better. This is because younger minds accept new knowledge more easily and learn to continue building on it. With an ability to speak English the student’s family will be able to function in society easier. If students have nothing familiar to compare English to they “hear but do not listen or understand.” (Mt 13:13)

With an increasing immigrant population in the US There is a large calling for bilingual education programs. Every year hundreds of children fall behind in school because of their lack of knowledge in English. If students are introduced to ESL programs early enough they will learn English faster. Studies show that children learning two languages don’t confuse them but in fact can learn both languages in the same time. Most people learn a new language without even realizing it is happening. (Kispert) All kids learn to speak by the imitation of sound and eventually learn to put together more complex sentences. A family with at least one English fluent member learns from that person and eventually become fluent themselves and integrates into mainstream society quicker.

As children learn new languages they also learn about the culture that speaks that language. With an increased understanding of a culture people will learn to stop judging others by their actions, race, or beliefs. If this is the case then why hasn’t the US done any thing to forward this cause?

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