A person worth two“School-age children who speak a language other than English at home are one of the fastest growing populations. Their numbers doubled between 1980 and 2009, and they now make up 21% of school-age children." (Bale 1) According to Bale, bilingual education was accepted as world policy in 1974, when the Equal Educational Opportunity Act was passed into law to ensure that children whose first language was not English had the same opportunities of learning. The big question is whether or not bilingual education is beneficial to students. Bilingual education benefits students in many ways. Sit makes them bicultural, capable of enhancing their cognitive development and qualified for a vast number of career opportunities. Being bilingual doesn't just mean knowing two different languages; it's about becoming bicultural. Parents think that it will be difficult for their children to learn two different languages at a young age, but the mind is better able to assimilate a new language between birth and age seven. According to Bale, being bicultural shows that you are able to better understand your own culture by understanding the values of another. Students are aware of cultural differences and are able to take part in the life of two or more cultures. When students break away from both languages, they experience culturalism. Whenever students visit other countries and their language is not English, the time spent there can be more enjoyable. While Rossel states that “people argue that someone who is bicultural may have lifelong identity issues.” (Rossell 1) But he argues that giving the child the challenge of understanding how to behave in two different cultures improves t...... middle of paper ...... cities especially in tourist attractions that require employees to speak two languages. Not only can being bilingual help you get a job where you live, but you can move to another state and be more likely to land a position in your desired career field. Many people think that being bilingual is inefficient for students just starting out. to learn. They are wrong, because being bilingual increases the ability of brain cells to work faster, as well as becoming more aware of different surrounding cultures. When bilingual students graduate, they will have more opportunities in their professional fields. Being bilingual gives students an advantage because they can be involved in two different communities without feeling neglected. Speaking two languages is useful in today's world, especially when living in the United States, since it is a diverse country.
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