Education in the Knowledge Society (Dec 2011)
Historical perspectives of bilingual education in the United States
Abstract
This article presents a revision of the evolution of bilingual education in the United States, focusing on the main movements that have been against and in favor of bilingualism. Respect for cultural and linguistic diversity started being jeopardized in 1750 when Benjamin Franklin tried to impose English as the official language of the United States. The strongest opposition to bilingualism took place in 1983 with a movement called U.S. English. Another movement, the so called English First, appeared in 1986 with the same objectives as U.S. English. However, bilingualism has also had its proposers, such as English Plus. The future of bilingualism has also been legally protected by three acts: (1) the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), (2) The Bilingual Education Act of 1968, and (3) the No Child Left Behind Act.
