Summary Notes On The Current Problems in Bilingual Education

Summary Notes on the Current Problems in Bilingual Education
by José Cárdenas, Ed.D.

IDRA Newsletter • August 1993
 In its simplest form bilingual education is the use of two languages. In a

more sophisticated context, such as an educational response to the
problems of limited English proficient students in American schools, bilingual
education is the use of the native language for instructional purposes while
English is being learned as a second language.
10 Most Common Problems in Bilingual Education Programs
1. Lack of Language Development Opportunity
 There exists an astounding relationship between language proficiency in

general, and English language proficiency specifically, and language
development activity in the classroom.
 Students with the least oral language skills spend the most time in desk
oriented, non-verbal instructional activity.
 Students with the most oral language skills spend the most time in verbal
instructional activities.
 Either in bilingual or monolingual programs, the most pressing need of

limited English proficient children is language development.
 Since oral language development usually precedes written language

development, written activity is relatively non-productive without the
prerequisite oral language capability.
 In general, this need is not being met.
 It is not unusual to visit a classroom with a large number of limited English

proficient students in which there is a minimum of verbal communication.
 When asked what is the most pressing need of these students, teachers will
invariably respond, “Lack of oral language development.”
2. Limited Use of the Native Language
 In the infamous American Institute for Research study of bilingual education

programs, more than half of the teachers with five or more years of
experience as bilingual teachers indicated that they knew no language other
than English.
 The shortage of bilingual teachers nationwide indicates that a large number

of bilingual programs are staffed by monolingual teachers.
3. Premature Transition to English
 Where bilingual programs actually use native language instruction, teachers

are under tremendous pressures to make a premature transition into English
language instruction or into regular English language classrooms.
 Premature transitioning is forced by a shortage of bilingual teachers,

opposition to bilingual education and early subject matter achievement
testing in the English language.
 Extensive premature exiting from bilingual programs also results from the
use of a student’s facility with the English language in a social context rather
than English language facility in an academic context.
 A student should stay in a bilingual education program as long as it takes to

be assured that the student has sufficient English language mastery so that
it is no longer a variable in the success/failure of basic skill and content
material acquisition.
 The length of time necessary in a bilingual program will vary from student to
student, but the fact that English speaking children spend four or five years
in English language acquisition in the home before facing academic tasks in
school should be recognized.
4. Inadequacies of Instructional Materials
 Despite some investments into the development of bilingual instructional

materials, there is still a marked shortage in bilingual instructional materials.
 Early native language materials were usually obtained from foreign

publishers.
 Though syntax and morphology were generally acceptable, the lexical

characteristics and context of the materials were inappropriate, unfamiliar
and confusing for the limited English proficient children raised in the U.S.
 Textbook publishers have been reluctant to invest in the development of

materials in any language other than English due to limited marketability.
 The same holds true for supplemental and reference materials. Aside from
basic reading materials and basic arithmetic, very little is commercially
available in support of bilingual education, especially for secondary students.
 The lack of appropriate cultural representation in curriculum materials has

also been a problem.
 For the past twenty-five years, a significant part of a bilingual teacher’s time
has been spent scrounging for appropriate instructional materials in addition
to the normal hours teachers spend in instructional and other duties.
5. Lack of Bilingual Teacher Training
 In the late 1960s it was common practice to assign teachers to bilingual

education programs with little preparation in the use of bilingual materials
and methodologies.
 The evaluation of bilingual education conducted by the American Institute

of Research (AIR), indicated that almost one-half of the teachers studied
had received less than 3 days of bilingual education training over a five-
year span.
 Although there has been such improvement in the pre-service and in-
service training of bilingual education personnel, needs assessment in
bilingual education still points to teacher training as a critical need.
6. Lack of Administrative Support
The lack of administrative support continues and can be measured by the

resources allocated in support of bilingual programs.
7. Failure to Use the Vernacular
 The rationale for bilingual education is based on the use of native

language for continuous growth while English is being acquired as a
second language.
 Initial efforts were constrained, and are still constrained, by the lack of a
large pool of trained teachers competent in the student’s native language
and a virtual void of instructional materials in languages other than
English.
8. Xenophobia (fear and hatred of people from other countries)

 Progress in the implementation of bilingual programs suffered an abrupt
reversal due to the political and public manifestation of the xenophobic
characteristic of a large number of Americans, whose distrust and fear of
foreigners led to a strong, organized counter-offensive against the use of
any language but English in American schools.
 In spite of the successes of bilingual education and the extensive

assimilation of students previously in bilingual programs, xenophobic
attacks continue with extensive dissemination of negative propaganda
based on distortions, misconceptions and misinformation.
9. Low Expectations
 Much of the poor performance by minority, disadvantaged, migrant and

immigrant school populations comes about by their placement in
remediation programs which are low-level, slow-paced, repetitious, boring
and self-fulfilling.
 Lack of English language competency is commonly seen as lack of
mental competency, especially so when the determinants of mental
capability are developed, normed, administered, scored and interpreted
solely in the English language.
 Though civil rights legislation requires the determination of lack of English

language skills prior to placement in bilingual programs, there is a marked
danger that the bilingual program is seen by the school as just another
remedial or special education program for low mental capability students.
 Unfortunately, teachers, parents and the students themselves internalize

these low levels of expectancy and convert them into continuous low
levels of performance.
10. Rules and Regulations
 The implementation of bilingual education programs has been

accompanied by a host of rules and regulations governing the programs
which have served to impede greater success.
 Such rules and regulations become a handicap for the successful

implementation of the program. Such restrictions may affect teacher
characteristics, language to be used, the relationship between sources of
funding and the role of the teacher and paraprofessional staff, limitations
on the use of the native language, and many others.
 If schools are to succeed, we must address these problems in the

implementation of bilingual programs and expand the educational
opportunities for a large segment of the school population, our limited-
English-proficient and language minority students.
https://www.idra.org/resource-center/current-problems-in-bilingual-education-
part-i/
https://www.idra.org/resource-center/current-problems-in-bilingual-education-
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Summary Notes on the Current Problems in Bilingual Education

by José Cárdenas, Ed.D.

 In its simplest form bilingual education is the use of two languages. In a

10 Most Common Problems in Bilingual Education Programs

1. Lack of Language Development Opportunity

 There exists an astounding relationship between language proficiency in

 Either in bilingual or monolingual programs, the most pressing need of

 Since oral language development usually precedes written language

 In general, this need is not being met.

 It is not unusual to visit a classroom with a large number of limited English

2. Limited Use of the Native Language

 In the infamous American Institute for Research study of bilingual education

 The shortage of bilingual teachers nationwide indicates that a large number

 Where bilingual programs actually use native language instruction, teachers

 Premature transitioning is forced by a shortage of bilingual teachers,

 A student should stay in a bilingual education program as long as it takes to

4. Inadequacies of Instructional Materials

 Despite some investments into the development of bilingual instructional

 Early native language materials were usually obtained from foreign

 Though syntax and morphology were generally acceptable, the lexical

 Textbook publishers have been reluctant to invest in the development of

 The lack of appropriate cultural representation in curriculum materials has

 In the late 1960s it was common practice to assign teachers to bilingual

 The evaluation of bilingual education conducted by the American Institute

6. Lack of Administrative Support

The lack of administrative support continues and can be measured by the

7. Failure to Use the Vernacular

 The rationale for bilingual education is based on the use of native

8. Xenophobia (fear and hatred of people from other countries)

 In spite of the successes of bilingual education and the extensive

 Much of the poor performance by minority, disadvantaged, migrant and

 Though civil rights legislation requires the determination of lack of English

 Unfortunately, teachers, parents and the students themselves internalize

10. Rules and Regulations

 The implementation of bilingual education programs has been

 Such rules and regulations become a handicap for the successful

 If schools are to succeed, we must address these problems in the

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