A Look at Bilingual Education in the U.S

Bilingual instruction and coursework entails a system of using a student’s primary or native language in conjunction with second one as part of the academic process. The majority of bilingual education programs in America are Spanish and English. However, some programs include languages such as French, Chinese and German.

It was in the late 20th century, with the increase of the U.S. Mexican-American population that the country saw developments and improvements in bilingual education. Now, there are even online education degrees that are bilingual.

While there were various types of bilingual education present as early as the 1840s, with World War I, there was a negative opinion of non-English speaking people and bilingual education and practices were stopped. However, the influx of immigrants from other countries did not cease.

In 1968, the Bilingual Education Act was passed and also gave funds to create programs to help students with limited English skills. A pivotal 1974 court case — Lau v. Nichols — helped to include students other than Spanish speakers within the federally funded bilingual education programs.

The number of students requiring bilingual programs continued to rise throughout the end of 20th century. The Bilingual Education Act of 1968 was rescinded in 2001 and was replaced by the No Child Left Behind Act.

Currently, the majority of students in American high schools are required to take some form of a second language course. Depending on the school, this can either be a one or two year requirement. A lot of schools also use the foreign language in elementary schools (FLES) program.

 

The Benefit of Online Educational Resources

Online educational resources have opened up a new door for students in local schools, especially those who are learning English as a second language. ESL teachers can find many resources to help these students master a new language.

Schools can now utilize the internet in a number of ways to aid foreign students coming into the school for the first time. The English language can be challenging, and these resources can help bridge the language gap. One example is the use of online children’s books that feature stories in both English and a child’s native language. The child can watch the text read in their first language, and then see the English equivalent. Many publishing companies are now offering these kind of texts.

Students pursuing an online education degree can also get assistance by having textbooks, class materials and related resources available in their native tongue. This helps the student’s comprehension and ability to actively take part in class discussions. There are also translation services available that can change text from English to another language in seconds. This helps schools communicate with students and parents.

Those wanting to learn a foreign language can now access programs, websites and blogs that feature free or paid lessons online. This is very useful for those who will soon be studying abroad in another country. They can not learn a new language, but explore the culture and history that is tied to the country that they will be visiting. Will these resources available, learning in another language is possible and easier.

 

How to Become a Translator

Translating is a growing field that will most likely never go away. After all, it works on the principle that if you can allow someone else to make money, you will always be able to earn money through doing so. And nothing makes money quite like allowing two people who speak different languages to communicate easily to one another. And just speaking different languages than one another is no excuse for there to be no effective communication. In this day and age, we all need to speak essentially the same language- the language of cooperation. And translators are vital members of cooperative teams. So how can you become a translator, and get to work facilitating worldwide cooperation between the people who make things happen?

First off, you are going to have to know at least two different languages. Since you would seem to know English well enough already, you might want to try learning another language through a university’s course of study. You can find yourself an online college through the use of a service like elearners.com, which allows you to check out the pros and cons of the different online universities out there. It might even be able to help you out with finding some financial aid. But this is just the educational aspect of becoming a translator. After that, it is time to start looking for work.

Now, you can always join some sort of agency. Rather like being an English teacher in a foreign country, working for an agency will guarantee you a steady paycheck. However, this is not the only way that you can earn a good living as a translator. You can also hire out your services as a translator for hire. All you have to do is find a source of leads (such as Odesk), and put your name out there to be considered for whatever translating tasks someone might need done. Your income is limited only by your ambition.