bilingualism sure reluctant post issue us bilingualism case feel obliged say educational linguist worked esl tangentially bilingual ed teacher education first entire notion bilingual ed could designed method introducing national plurilingualism nonstarter therefore debates using plurilingualism argument get nowhere fact wish flame anyone nt think intentional entire argument stop bilingual ed anti english antistandard english agenda kind familiar us educational circles little different hear argue proponents progressive educational idea x e g whole langauge reading instruction process writing outcomesbased ed trying bring standards undermine society something unamerican essentially rhetorical manipulation worst kind based false suppositions intended push hot buttons saying defending bilingual ed movement however think need debated educational merits argument nonstarter admittedly education propose students right dialect language whathave nt learn standard english school however largely involved academic exercise takes place pages journals various sorts shape policy avowed purpose vast majority bilingual ed programs usually ease limited english proficient child mainstream idea take content area courses first language fall behind learning english programs contain esl components supposedly allow kids mainstream later programs encourage native language literacy continue classes native language classes throughout child school career take young english speaking kids put classes immersion basis since usually older english speaking kids schools trying theory learn language immigrant kids already fluent fail see controversial seems designed theory encourage personal societal bilingualism failings bilingual ed places failed poor educational practice policy kids arriving college say five years bilingual ed entering esl programs something nt work right anyone remotely familiar urban schools hardly surprise national level think look us bilingualism forget catalonia basque country moment bilingualism us endured many generations several situations tight knit religious communities hasidic jews speak yiddish old order amish brethren mennonites speak german dialects ii groups overtaken put nicely english speakers navajo indigenious peoples french creole speakers louisiana spanish southwest iii isolated communities gullah south carolina georgia immigrants would seem tend assimilate linguistically typically generations spite myth spanish speakers somehow different score think would instructive look case new york full people young hispanics speak words spanish spite continuing immigration spanish speaking countries non yiddish hebrew speaking ashkanazi jew entirely understand phenomenon although learner spanish foreign language lament lost opportunity finally think would instructive look americans feel threatened nonexistent threat demise something never existed us monolingual nation try figure people feel way example issue west new york associated right left come really good old american nativism 90s style something different going also nt linguistics education done communicate mainstream americans whole thing lot nonsense michael newman dept educational theory practice ohio state university mnewman magnus acs ohiostate edu