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"Promoting bilingualism" UT Issue for Admission


justlikekathy 2 / 3  
Sep 23, 2010   #1
Hello!

This is my second admissions essay for UT.
Prompt:
Choose a personal, school related, local, political, or international issue - and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.

Is this organized enough? Any feedback is helpful! Thank you!

Living in Texas, I have ample opportunities to practice speaking Spanish in my daily life: Ordering breakfast from a taco cart, shopping at my neighborhood meat market, or helping someone navigate the bus route. I am able to take advantage of these opportunities only because I have spent the majority of my college education studying the Spanish language. Students across the globe are required to proficiently learn a second, or even third, language beginning at a young age. In Texas, foreign language is a required subject in high school and college, but simply taking these few required classes do not make a student bilingual. In order to promote bilingualism, our school system should follow in the footsteps of other countries by encouraging bilingual and foreign language education during elementary education.

Second language learning is a compulsory part of early education in Europe and then continued throughout education, with various classes being taught solely in the second language. As a result, roughly half of all Europeans are bilingual. In French Canada, French/English immersion programs abound. In Vancouver, where there is a large Chinese community, English/Mandarin Chinese immersion programs are offered at some schools. In Texas, over one third of our population is of Hispanic or Latino origin. Many children are raised speaking Spanish in their homes and there are numerous students seeking an education that do not speak English. The current system that emphasizes teaching in English only deprives the students from learning their native language well, which can in turn obstruct their understanding of the English language. A system of dual language bilingual education that begins teaching in both English and Spanish at a young age and then continued throughout education would promote bilingualism and multiculturalism in Texas communities.

I was in the first Spanish class ever offered at my small private school when I was in the seventh grade. The majority of my classmates were Hispanic and many spoke Spanish in their homes. I had to study quite a bit at first to learn the grammatical basics, but soon I was hooked. I started to write notes back and forth to my friends in Spanish and they would help me decipher them if I was not able to figure it out on my own. By being able to interact with native speakers, my vocabulary and understanding of everyday conversation improved constantly. This type of community learning is what I believe our multicultural society is in need of.

I spent three years taking Spanish classes in community college, I have traveled abroad to practice what I learned, and I still struggle at times to keep my conversational skills up to par. I have many more years of studying the Spanish language and it's intricacies before I can call myself truly bilingual. Knowing a second language is an invaluable skill. Not only does it strengthen a professional resume and broaden opportunities for employment, but it also increases awareness and understanding of other cultures by bringing people together who may not have otherwise been able to communicate.
Aliofbabylon 1 / 4  
Sep 25, 2010   #2
Hey Nice to see a fellow texan!
I enjoyed reading this essay, but as a reader it would have been nice to read an example of you speaking spanish during one of your trips abroad. Or maybe how a second language helped you during a situation
EF_Kevin 8 / 13,321 129  
Sep 27, 2010   #3
The current system that emphasizes teaching in English only deprives the students from learning their native language well, which can in turn obstruct their understanding of the English language.

This whole essay is very well-written. I just hope your AO reader is not someone who identifies with the "English Only" movement!

I have need many more years of studying the Spanish language and it's intricacies before I can call myself truly bilingual.

I am impressed... if you want other ideas to support your argument, you can talk about globalization, about the fact that bilingualism has a number of cognitive benefits, and about the fact that America is supposed to be a "melting pot" of cultures.


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