Nurturing bilingual speakers

“The important point to keep in mind for young ELL children is that their home language 

and cultural practices are fragile and susceptible to dominance by the English language and mainstream culture.  Children who have the opportunity to speak two languages should be 

encouraged to maintain both, so they can enjoy the linguistic and cultural benefits that 

accompany bilingual status and cultivate their home language as well as English.” 

(http://www.fresnomaderacabe.org/documents/QuotesfromLindaEspinosa.pdf)

 I believe that learning the English language should be life enriching. By making connections with a learner's native language and the English language, teachers not only make lessons easier to grasp but their learners are also able to build higher level thinking skills. Learning to speak and write in the English language is tough, but adding to that a strong foundation in one's native language requires the extra ability to make distinctions and connections between both languages. It is widely known that possessing the skill of being fluent in two or more languages makes an individual more attractive to employers and it is for this reason (among others) that teachers should work to nurture an English learner's native language.