7/12 Reflection

I really enjoyed today's class discussion on bilingualism, bilingual education, and Chapter 71A, which all tied in nicely with the ideas presented in the class video. At one point my group discussed how the ideologies presented by Chapter 71A can trace back to historic roots and are aimed at continuing prejudice. We also discussed how, according to Chapter 71A, ALL students need to be instructed in "English only" because that is the best or only way for them to truly learn. However, we also noted how there is an exception for immersion programs that do allow students to be instructed in a majority and minority language. The only problem with this model is that many of the students in immersion programs come from positions of privilege. We also discussed how many of the immersion programs focus on teaching majority students minority languages of capital- Spanish and Chinese. This is in contradiction with the attitude towards bilingual and immigrant students who are refused bilingual education to strengthen their capital.

Mr. Larievy tied in our discussion with the class video and large discussion perfectly when he informed us that the Department of the Defense funds many of the Mandarin immersion programs- leading at least me to believe that many of these immersion programs are serving the same age-old purpose: keeping capital and opportunities open to only the privileged class while limiting the "others."