...FOR NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS

Myth:
Bilingualism results in language delay: children who learn two languages at once acquire speaking, reading, and writing skills more slowly than children who speak just one language.

Reality:
Language learning has a positive effect on intellectual growth and cognitive development, improving a child’s understanding of his/her native language.

Myth:
Students in immersion programs have poorer academic performance than their peers in conventional all-English classrooms.

Reality:
Students in language immersion programs learn to read, write, speak, and listen in English just as well or better as students in all-English programs. In addition, students who learn second languages tend to do better on standardized tests (like the SAT and the ACT) and in college.

Myth:
You can’t learn subjects like math and science in another language.

Reality:
Students learn new skills and knowledge just as effectively when these are taught in a second language. Immersion students perform at the same level in their academic subjects as students in conventional classrooms and content that is learned in one language will transfer to another, once the appropriate vocabulary is learned.

Myth:
Students who struggle academically in their first language will only fall further behind the pack if they’re in a language-immersion program.

Reality:
Studies have found that even students who struggle in their first language attain the same levels of achievement in English as similar students in all-English programs – and by acquiring functional competence in a second language, they increase their professional opportunities in the future.

Myth:
Immersion programs are traumatizing to elementary-school students – they’re too young to handle the shock of being immersed in a foreign language.

Reality:
eing bilingual allows a child to make new friends and interact with people he/she otherwise couldn’t. It expands students’ horizons and introduces them to cultures and traditions that aren’t their own – and students value this.

...FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Myth:
Children who speak another language at home develop English language skills more slowly than children who speak just English. Parents should try to avoid using other languages around their children.

Reality:
Monolingual and bilingual children develop language abilities at the same rate. What matters most for language development is that children engage with spoken and written language, no matter what language it is. Parents can effectively help their children develop English language skills by communicating in their home tongue.

Myth:
Students who are learning English should be immersed in English-only classrooms –otherwise they’ll never learn it.

Reality:
Research shows that teaching English-language learners in their home language does not impede their learning English. English-language learners who participate in bilingual instruction programs tend to perform as well or better in both English and math than their peers in ESL and English-only programs.

Myth:
Since the national school dropout rate for Hispanic students is the highest of any ethnic group, the last thing we need to do is to teach them Spanish in school. The fastest way to encourage assimilation is to place them in English-only classrooms.

Reality:
Bilingual education builds confidence and motivation among heritage speakers and English-language learners by valuing their cultures and skills. Research has shown that English-language learners in bilingual education programs are less likely to drop out than their peers in English-only programs.

Myth:
There’s no point in teaching heritage speakers and English-language learners to read and write in anything besides English. Speaking a second language at home is good enough.

Reality:
In an economy that’s growing more “global” every day, the ability to read and write fluently in two languages – as well as speak them – is a tremendous professional asset. Bilingual education means enhanced opportunities for all students.