Proposed English-only Head Start Mandate Will Harm Kids
The federal government plans to mandate that all Head Start programs are conducted in English-only environments. Policies that eliminate home language are not only unwise, they are harmful to emergent bilingual kids. Here are five reasons we need to ensure that Head Start can be incorporated into Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) programs. There are…
Keep readingHow to Determine Who Goes Into Your Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) Program?
About this time every year, schools are working hard to test their incoming students for language proficiency and to determine who will go into their Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) programs. Administrators have to decide who makes the cutoff and who does not. They have to determine if they should have a lottery. And if…
Keep readingSpeaking in Languages Other Than English is NOT Rude!
by: Dr. Aradhana Mudambi Back in 2009, I invited my Mexican-descent colleague from the Rio Grande Valley to join me in visiting my grandparents out in Albany, NY. My aunt, uncle, grandmother, sister, friend, and I gathered in the living room, and like in most busy social settings, there were multiple conversations happening simultaneously. But…
Keep readingFor Whom is your Dual Language Bilingual Education Program?
If you are considering opening a Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) program, you must first determine whom your program will serve. This decision will help guide other discussions that you may have in the future. In this article, I provide you with the choices you have and the pros and cons of each of your…
Keep readingThe Early Start of Language Endangerment Among our Students
In a previous post, we analyzed this graph to understand the linguistic repertoire of our simultaneous bilinguals. Simultaneous bilinguals, who make up the majority of our emergent bilinguals nationwide, are those exposed to more than one language before reaching age 5. In the United States, we generally refer to simultaneous bilinguals as those who speak…
Keep readingAssimilation Myths: Who Truly Belongs?
The Other An interesting theme that I have noticed on the Internet is the idea that only immigrants who are willing and able to “assimilate” should be permitted entry to the United States. Everyone else who wants to continue being the “other” should be denied entry. There’s a lot to unpack in this sentiment, but…
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