English Only vs.

Bilingual Education:
Video Debate (group of six)
Roles:
Katie Detrux: Bilingual Education
Tylar Smith: Bilingual Education
Julia Zendell: Bilingual Education
Kayleigh Basovsky: English Only
Leigh Scarano: English Only
Mazie Stiles: Moderator

English Only Pros & Cons:

Pros:
1) Cheaper
2) Easier for a school to maintain because you do not have to hire bilingual teachers as
well as purchase extra materials in the second language
3) Immigrants are encouraged to adopt English as their new and “native” language
4) Abolish the use of translation services
5) Student learns faster/raises confidence

Cons:
1) It’s a deficit-based model that focuses on students’ lack of ability to speak English as
a problem that needs remediating as opposed to highlighting students’ ability to
speak another language
2) It restricts freedom of speech
3) It prevents student involvement in local culture
4) Decreased participation from students with lower English skills.
Bilingual Education Pros & Cons:
https://youaremom.com/parenting/bilingual-education/
https://vittana.org/14-pros-and-cons-of-bilingual-education

Pros:
1.) It creates an opportunity for early diversity.
2.) It provides children with future opportunities
3.) Working memory is also improved.
4.) Boosts brain development
5.) Increasing opportunity for the future.
6.) Stimulates concentration and students

Cons:
1.) Education in a second language can be inconsistent
2.) Learning specific content can be extremely difficult
3.) A bilingual education is not cheap.
4.) Bilingual education can shift a student’s focus.
5.) There may be a lack of qualified teachers and assistants
6.) It comes with a stigma.

English Only Opening: 3 Key Points:

● English only education is cheaper. Schools will save money on hiring specialized
bilingual teachers, as well as save money on bilingual materials like textbooks
and workbooks.
● Next, when students are in an English only classroom they are able to learn
faster and it raises their confidence. Since English is everyone’s first language in
the classroom, the students will be able to excel in any subject they are learning.
● Lastly, Immigrants are encouraged to adopt English as their new and “native”
language because it is the only language spoken in the classroom.

Bilingual Education Opening: 3 Key Points:

● Bilingual education creates an opportunity for early diversity. It helps students

learning a new language make an easy transition to begin learning math,
 science, and other subjects in English. Students begin receiving instruction in
their native language and eventually become weaned off it and begin to learn
entirely in English.
● It also provides children with many future opportunities that they may not have
had with only knowing one language. Research has shown that non-English
speaking students who take advantage of these programs effectively learn how
to write and speak in English.
● Lastly, a bilingual education provides two languages to students simultaneously.
Bilingual education programs, intend to assist English and non-English speaking
students to speak and write in a second language.

Questions English Only will ask Bilingual Education:

1) Where do schools get funding for bilingual education?

2) How do you justify school districts hiring teachers and assistants who are unqualified in
bilingual education?

3) How do teachers who teach different languages keep learning consistent for the
student?

Questions Bilingual will ask English Only:

1) What would you propose the solution would be if a student who does not speak english
just moved into a school district that does not offer bilingual education?

2) How do you justify the lack of student engagement when a student cannot understand,
the second language?

3) What is your perspective on the elimination of culture and diversity through english only
programs?

Closing Points for English Only:

 1) To justify the point of a school district not having bilingual support, students should get
outside help like going to a tutor to receive the bilingual education they need. This will
maintain the unity of not only the school district but the nation as a whole.

2) In addition, school districts have little funding so eliminating bilingual education will help
schools fund different programs. Taxpayers should not have to go out of their way to pay
for bilingual education when the majority of the students do not need this support.

3) In conclusion, English only education increases the student’s confidence and they will
learn faster because they are only focused on their new language not retrieving
information from their past language.

Closing Points for Bilingual Education:

1) Bilingual education gives a greater opportunity for future success to each individual that
can comprehend one or more languages.

2) Another key point to our argument is that english only curriculum decreases participation
from students with lower English skills. If a student does not understand english they will
not succeed in a classroom setting.

3) To conclude, bilingual education boosts brain development, increases working memory,

and overall gives students an advantage to effectively write and speak in english.