Tara's Conclusions
After doing this assignment and researching the topic of bilingual education further I fully support immersion programs and bilingualism in education. I myself am a product of a bilingual education and can personally see and understand the benefits. There are several different options for bilingual education programs that are offered in Ontario. The most common programs are immersion, extended, and core French in both elementary and secondary schools. I think it is important to learn both French and English in particular as they are the official languages of Canada.
There is a lot of resistance and debate surrounding bilingual education and I think that a large part of that stems from unilingual parents and those who are afraid they will not be able to help their children. Immersion programs are specifically designed for those who do not necessarily have a basis for the language, beginning by building a proficiency in French while mastering the English language. As students progress through school, the expectations intensify with the goal of producing fluent, bilingual students by the time they graduate high school. The decision to place a child in an immersion program depends not only on a child's capacity to learn but also a parent’s willingness to embrace the program. Parents who are most likely to place their child in an immersion program are those who have taken the time to research and learn how the programs work. These parents also support the idea of their child learning two languages and understand that the benefits outweigh the negatives.
Although I think that bilingual education is extremely important and beneficial I feel that teachers are often shortchanged. As a qualified French as a Second Language teacher, educators are more likely to find a permanent position, however, in the classroom they lack the resources to create an extremely successful program. The other area of bilingual education that is often overlooked is that of aboriginal education and native languages. There is a severe lack of teachers who are qualified to teach these languages and those who can are lacking the funding and resources needed.
The benefits of bilingual education, in my opinion, far outweigh the disadvantages as those who are bilingual are proven to be more successful academically and professionally. I can particularly see the importance of bilingualism living so close to Ottawa. I think it is equally important to promote bilingualism in regards to native languages, less so for cognitive development but rather for the preservation of the language and culture.
Bilingual education in my opinion is extremely important, especially for young students. It has proven benefits and I would recommend it to anyone who is considering placing their child in an immersion program. That being said, I also recognize that there is always room for improvement and bilingual education programs could certainly be improved over time.
There is a lot of resistance and debate surrounding bilingual education and I think that a large part of that stems from unilingual parents and those who are afraid they will not be able to help their children. Immersion programs are specifically designed for those who do not necessarily have a basis for the language, beginning by building a proficiency in French while mastering the English language. As students progress through school, the expectations intensify with the goal of producing fluent, bilingual students by the time they graduate high school. The decision to place a child in an immersion program depends not only on a child's capacity to learn but also a parent’s willingness to embrace the program. Parents who are most likely to place their child in an immersion program are those who have taken the time to research and learn how the programs work. These parents also support the idea of their child learning two languages and understand that the benefits outweigh the negatives.
Although I think that bilingual education is extremely important and beneficial I feel that teachers are often shortchanged. As a qualified French as a Second Language teacher, educators are more likely to find a permanent position, however, in the classroom they lack the resources to create an extremely successful program. The other area of bilingual education that is often overlooked is that of aboriginal education and native languages. There is a severe lack of teachers who are qualified to teach these languages and those who can are lacking the funding and resources needed.
The benefits of bilingual education, in my opinion, far outweigh the disadvantages as those who are bilingual are proven to be more successful academically and professionally. I can particularly see the importance of bilingualism living so close to Ottawa. I think it is equally important to promote bilingualism in regards to native languages, less so for cognitive development but rather for the preservation of the language and culture.
Bilingual education in my opinion is extremely important, especially for young students. It has proven benefits and I would recommend it to anyone who is considering placing their child in an immersion program. That being said, I also recognize that there is always room for improvement and bilingual education programs could certainly be improved over time.