Introduction
It has been established in a separate review of related literatures that bilingualism can have numerous direct and indirect advantages and disadvantages. Although bilingualism does not only affect a state’s educational system, this paper would focus on its effects on an established educational system. Some of the pertinent findings about bilingualism and its effects on the educational system include buy may not limited to the ones that suggest that:
There is a set of social factors that may be used to determine the likelihood that individuals within an educational system would adopt bilingualism. These factors are social input, language status, family language use, access to literacy, and community support and schooling .
Bilingualism is a voluntary phenomenon. It all starts from a desire to learn a second language. An individual who has decided to become a bilingual would most likely not need continuous home reinforcement either from their parents, siblings, or friends. They would learn how to use their second language on their own, regardless of the circumstances .
Bilingualism either leads to or is caused by inequality in schools and educational institutions, especially in environments where being able to speak a second language fluently, especially English, is deemed as a certain form of academic or school achievement, even though in real cases, they are not .
And last but not the least, bilingualism does not only benefit (or dis-benefit) an educational system; it also leads to certain economic, cognitive, and health benefits, at least according to the results of a study that was conducted by Marsh and Mehisto (21-25).
Methods
The research question chosen to be discussed in the proposed study will center on the effects (which can either be positive or negative) of bilingualism on the educational system. In order to answer this research question systematically, the researchers will rely on the use of survey questionnaire. The said research instrument will be used to collect data and information from a sample population. To describe the sample or respondent group, it will be composed of a total of 20 participants. The group will be divided into two. The first group will be composed of 10 international students from the University of California (UC). The other group will be composed of 10 American students (English Speakers) from the same institution. The survey questionnaire is aimed at determining the average number of hours each of the two groups’ participants use their second language and the most common means, way, or setting where they use it. Moreover, it also aims to identify the typical challenges that they encounter whenever they try to practice using their second language.
The objective of the questionnaire is to collect enough information that the researchers can then use to make deductions and inference which would then enable them to answer the main research question. After collecting the data and information from the respondents, the researchers will analyze them using qualitative means. The analysis will be done collectively for each of the two groups. The outcomes that were obtained from each of the two groups will then be compared with each other. At that point, certain conclusions will be drawn (from the primary and secondary data used). Recommendations on how the educational system can further improve the students’ perception on bilingualism—basically how they can promote it, will also be made.
Works Cited
Bialystok, E. "Language Acquisition and Bilingualism: consequences for a multilingual society." Applied Psycholinguistics (2007): 393-397. Print.
Duursma et al. "The role of home literacy and language environment on bilinguals' English and Spanish Vocabulary Development." Applied Psycholinguistics (2007): 171-190. Print.
Marsh, D. and P. Mehisto. "Approaching the economic, cognitive, and health benefits of Bilingualism: fuel for CLIL." Language Arts and Disciplines (2011): 21-25. Print.
Parker, S., L. Rubalcava and G. Teruel. "Schooling inequality and language barriers." Economic Development and Cultural Change (2005): 71-94. Print.
