Starting in the first grade, I spoke both English and Spanish daily at school. Specifically, half of my day was spent learning in English and the other half was spent learning in Spanish. This meant that by the time I graduated from the bilingual Dual Immersion Academy in the eighth grade, I had a solid bilingual background. I absolutely loved my bilingual education: it gave me many gifts that I would never have received if I had gone through a typical school. Here are some pros and cons that come with learning a second language in school.
Pro:
I understood and appreciated cultural diversity at a young age. At my school, my teachers and classmates celebrated all cultures. We had to; everyone in my class was from a different background. Half of my class consisted of English dominant speaking kids, the other half consisted of Spanish dominant speaking kids. Our language and cultural differences never separated us though, we kept strong friendships for all eight years we were together. Even today, 6 years later, I cherish the relationships I made in my bilingual school.
Con:
Sometimes learning specific content was difficult. Starting in about 3rd grade, learning became intense in our second languages. I can remember suffering through a long division lesson in my second language as an eight year old. In the eighth grade, my entire American History class was taught in Spanish. Although I did in the end learn the content, it was difficult to focus entirely on specific lessons when they were being taught in my second language.
Pro:
I became bilingual quickly. Children can learn languages much faster than adults, which is one reason why my bilingual education was so efficient. By the time I was in the 5th grade, I had a great understanding of both English and Spanish. Not only could I speak in both languages, but I could also read and write in both as well. This ability has been a great gift that I will be able to use for the rest of my life. It will help me in my future careers, relationships, and more.
Con:
I had to stop my bilingual education when I started high school. For my specific bilingual program, the class level offered only reached the eighth grade. After that, students were told to continue their journeys on their own in high school. For me, this meant one 50 minute Spanish class per day. Unfortunately, this 50 minute class was too easy and too short, even though I took Spanish class for all four years of high school. I found that I lost a lot of my conversational skill in my second language over those four years. I also feel like reading in my second language has become more choppy and my writing is less eloquent.
Pro:
My primary schooling gave me a leg up in the professional world. Because I can speak, write, and understand two languages, I have an edge that most other Americans don't have. Being bilingual is a huge advantage when looking for any job, and I gained this advantage in elementary school.
Overall, being a bilingual student was well worth it. I can still speak Spanish well and I can easily understand and converse in the language. I feel more prepared to enter the workforce when I am ready because I believe I have an advantage over other, one language speaking individuals. I learned how to appreciate and love people of other cultures. I will never forget my experience attending a bilingual school.
