Bilingualism and Immigrant Children

This looks like an interesting paper/presentation relevant to the education needs of immigrant children:

Bilingualism for the Children? Dual-Language Programs under Restrictive Language Policies

April Linton
Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of California, San Diego; Visiting Research Fellow, CCIS

Tuesday, February 5, 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Eleanor Roosevelt College Administration Building
Conference Room 115, First Floor
Reception to follow

This paper employs qualitative data from twelve school districts to explore dual-language educators’ and parents’ responses to California Proposition 227 and Massachusetts Question 2.  Both laws severely restrict “bilingual” programs in which teachers use a child’s native language to help them transition to reading, writing, and speaking in English.  The Massachusetts statute specifically mentions two-way bilingual programs as a possible option for parents who choose to waiver their children out of English immersion, but it certainly does not promote them. What has motivated the maintenance and further initiation of dual-language programs despite restrictive language policies?  And to what ends?  Following a description of Proposition 227 and Question 2 and their passage, we discuss how education professionals and parents have reacted to these laws, and the reasons why we now observe English immersion policies in some districts whereas in others, restrictive language policies have not impeded the establishment of more dual-language programs.

April Linton’s current research topics include immigrant incorporation in the United States and global links between trade, development, and the environment. Her recent publications include “A Critical Mass Model of Bilingualism among US-Born Hispanics” (Social Forces 2004), “”A Taste of Trade Justice: Marketing Global Social Responsibility via Fair Trade Coffee” (Globalizations 2005), and “Dual-Language Education in the Wake of California Proposition 227: Five Cases” (Intercultural Education 2007).

Center for Comparative Immigration Studies
9500 Gilman Drive
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, CA 92093-0548

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