Ed Central – Staff Writer
“A growing body of research has shown the potential — and considerable — cognitive, cultural, and economic benefits of bilingualism. Meanwhile, similar research is showing the potentially damaging ramifications of English-only learning for English language learners (ELLs). In a research study conducted by Ofelia Garcia, Jo Anne Kleifgen, and Lorraine Falchi for the Campaign for Educational Equity, ignoring students’ emerging bilingualism creates considerable educational inequity. For example, since few commonly-used curricula build on ELLs’ linguistic and cultural strengths, these students often begin school at an academic disadvantage. Bilingual students are often placed in remedial education that emphasizes English language acquisition at the expense of content knowledge. The Seal of Biliteracy is a step in the right direction towards recognizing the value of bilingualism and towards promoting educational equity for ELLs. It’s a relatively new campaign that seeks to support student biliteracy by recognizing students who are proficient in two or more languages by high school graduation. Students can also receive “pathway awards” along different points of language mastery.”(more)