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Proposition 227 Argumentative Analysis

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After I watched the episode of “Think Tank” that discussed the aftermath of Proposition 227 in California, I realized how contentious the debate about bilingual education has been in the past and how it still continues to be today. The video hosted Dr. Krashen, an advocate of second-language acquisition and bilingual education, and Mr. Unz, an advocate of English-Only Education, in a debate about the effectiveness of bilingual education and Proposition 227.
On one side of the debate is Mr. Unz, the author of Proposition 227. He claims that the English-Only method is more effective than the Bilingual Education approach for teaching Limited English Proficient (LEP) students. Mr. Unz states that it is very easy for students to acquire a second-language …show more content…

There are more qualified teachers and resources put in to place for Spanish speakers. I firmly believe that Bilingual Education programs help students acquire English, while preventing them from becoming academically deficient. A good education in your first language will positively impact your ability to acquire a second language. I have experienced this benefit firsthand while learning Spanish and becoming bilingual. I believe it would be incredibly demoralizing to be forced to learn a second-language without having an opportunity to develop a solid base in your first language.
The debate between supporters of Pro-Bilingual Education and Pro-English Education is a battle that will stand the test of time. In recent years, it has become a politicized dispute and is no longer just a language issue. It has become an issue of culture. English will continue to be the dominant language of the United States, but the population of LEP students will continue to grow. As long as this debate remains so polarized, it will be difficult to give LEP students the education that they truly

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