Language Policies in American Education

Abstract

This paper outlines the historical evolution of language policies in American education. It traces the multilingual history of the United States, citing several cases where children were taught in their native language, thus belying the myth that bilingual education is a new phenomenon in this country. While multilingual education and cultural diversity were accepted during the 19th century, the massive immigration of Eastern and Southern Europeans from the 1880's until the first World War created a sharp reaction on the part of educational policymakers, and the trend turned sharply in favor of assimilation and against cultural and linguistic pluralism. From the end of the 19th century until the 1950's, English was strictly imposed as the national language and the mandatory language of instruction. It is only in the last two decades that linguistic minorities have asserted their right to cultural and linguistic maintenance. The paper further discusses the important state and federal court cases which have had an effect on present bilingual education legislation, and the enforcement of that legislation. It points out some of the major questions which need to be addressed in the development of a national language policy. The case made for introducing literacy in the native language for linguistic minority children should serve as a guideline for future language policy in the United States.