The Latino Students' Attitudes, Perceptions, and Views on Bilingual Education

Abstract

In light of the continuing debate surrounding bilingual education, there has been a renewed interest to examine the perceptions and views on the subject from various constituents. The purpose of this study was to examine the group who is the target of and most affected by this controversy—English language learners. The study surveyed 280 Latino students, all of whom were enrolled in bilingual classes, including Spanish maintenance and sheltered classes, in seven urban middle schools in Southern California, in regard to their attitudes, perceptions, and views on bilingual education. The study found that an overwhelming majority (90%) of the students surveyed believed that bilingual education was helpful to their educational experience and 86% supported the offering of bilingual education programs in public schools. Interestingly, however, if given a choice, 53% of the students responded that they would prefer to be in non-bilingual classes. Nevertheless, almost three-quarters (71%) of the subjects reported that bilingual education supported their cognitive and emotional development, suggesting the psychoaffective benefits beyond language development for English language learners.