NPR's Claudio Sanchez reports that millions of kids in the US still receive "bilingual education" (instruction in their native languages and in English) despite widespread criticism that the practice keeps non-native English speakers at a disadvantage. Supporters of the program say kids with no English skills need help keeping up in their studies until they become proficient in English, and they want government funding for the program to continue. There's very little hard evidence on the effectiveness of bilingual ed, so the debate over the program tends to rest on ideological differences over the status of English vis a vis other languages spoken in this country.
Copyright 1996 NPR
