See related podcast #138 at http://www.idra.org/Podcasts/ Bilingual education and ESL programs have been in place in U.S. schools for several decades, but for some there is still a bit of a mystery about their purpose. And while the Civil Rights Act and the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Lau vs. Nichols case require schools to appropriately serve English language learners, educators and parents are sometimes unclear about their role and the rights of students. IDRA education associate, Kristin Grayson, Ph.D., talks about why we need bilingual education and English as a second language programs, what these programs do and how parents can work with educators to make sure their children learn English while also learning their other subjects.

1. Kristin Grayson, IDRA
kristin.grayson@idra.org
Bilingual Education & ESL
Discussion Questions
EducaciónBilingüe e Inglés comosegundo
idiomaguía de discusión

2. Why do schools have
specialized language
programs?
¿Por qué hay programas de
idiomas?

3. What is the difference between
ESL and bilingual programs?
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre inglés
como segundo idioma y un
programa bilingϋe?

4. According to research, which
program is best for learning
English?
¿Según estudios académicos
cuál programa es mejor para
aprender Inglés?

5. What is the process schools
use to place students in a
language program?
¿Qué es el proceso que usan
las escuelas para determinar
el programa de cada
estudiante?

6. What are some rights of
parents in schools?
¿Cuáles son algunos de los
derechos de padres de
familia en las escuelas?

7. What should parents do if they are
concerned about their children’s
progress or other issues that seem
unjust or unfair?
¿Qué deben hacer los padres si estén
preocupados del progreso de sus hijos
o por otras cosas que parezcan no ser
justos?

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