Week 13

English is widely used in other countries like Africa or India. Some encourage the English-only movement, while others agree that bilingualism is better. In my opinion, bilingualism is the way to go. Not only should students learn a new language, but they should also maintain their native language that makes them who they are. No one should be pushed to forget their native language. As future teachers, we must motivate our students to use both languages. Some people think that by having a bilingual program, students will not learn the English language, but that is not true. Students need to use the language they know so they can learn a new language. If you were to learn Chinese for example, would you learn it better if you were put in a Chinese class where no one spoke English (or whatever language you know)? Of course not.

Many people want to learn English because of citizenship, social, and economic integration. Everyone wants to be a part of the country, so they try as best as they can to learn the language. This can help in communication and to get a better job.

We can teach our students about world languages by doing some of the activities mentioned in "Exploring Linguistic Diversity through World Englishes." This can include having class discussions in circles where everyone participates, watching videos on language, inviting in guest speakers and many more. We should explain to our students that it's ok to have an accent and just because people have them, doesn't mean they don't want to learn English.

Studies show, according to page 86 of International English in its Sociolinguistic Contexts, that children who are in bilingual programs do better than their monolingual peers in tests of academic achievement in English. As we can see, by using their native language, students can be very successful. Using their native language is not the problem, its the solution to learn English.