When Bilingual Education becomes the topic, people automatically think of students enrolled in elementary and secondary schools. However Puerto Rico’s Sistema Universitario Ana G. Mendez, AHORA degree program allows bilingual students to earn a degree while the professors teach the student’s in Spanish and English. The purpose of the program and main goal is to teach in Spanish and English, which permits the students to learn in their native language, Spanish. AHORA also allows the students to learn and feel comfortable speaking and writing in the English language. AHORA currently works with mostly student over the age of 23 in a couple of different colleges in Florida. Most classes are taught in Spanish one week and English the next week. The total enrollment is 1,700 and the majority of the students are Puerto Rican.
When first reading the title Bilingual in Higher Education I was concerned that students were earning a degree in all Spanish. This concerned me because I was wondering how prepared the students would be in the work place, not knowing English. Reading more into the program I became interested in the idea of Bilingual education in college degree programs. Many people want to attend college in the United States but may be afraid because of the language barrier and the embarrassment of not understanding the professor. However, AHORA allows students to attend college who may know little English when first starting college. The students all attend class with other students who may face the same barriers which provide the students with a support network.
It was interesting hearing that only three schools in the United States offer the program. There are several individuals in the US who do not understand English well enough to succeed in College. Yes, it would be costly only hiring professors who are bilingual, but in the long run we could be producing educated citizens.
I would highly encourage everyone to read the article and the comments people have made towards the program. With programs, like AHORA, President Obama will make his goal, of the United States becoming the most educated state in the World, by having the most college degrees.
April 8, 2010
Jennifer Epstein
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/04/08/agmus
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I see a need for such programs as AHORA but how does the current immigration climate of the US tie into these programs? Do students need to be a US citizen to enroll? Are local communities supporting the AHORA programs? Is finding bilingual faculty and staff difficult?
ReplyDeleteOnce again using Aims as a reference, the institution serves a community with a high hispanic population; however, few faculty and staff members are hispanic with even fewer being spanish speaking. In an effort to show the college's "diversity" bilingual (english/spanish) signs are posted on the outside of the building housing the student service areas - this is so misleading in that few spanish speaking employees are available to serve this population. Furthermore, none of the forms, schedules, catalogs, etc. are available in spanish. I have a real problem with this! It is all or nothing in my opinion - if the institution does not have the resources or a diverse population within itself it shouldn't be talking a talk it cannot walk. I love it when my husband (whose first language is spanish) approaches the student services counters and begins speaking in spanish - he has befuttled more than one Aims employee; perhaps he should approach an administrator and do the same thing to make a point!
I love the idea of bilingual education. Coming from California, there were many schools (K-12) that had bilingual education programs and I was always jealous of the students who got to participate in this type of schooling. I loved learning Spanish and wish I would have had the opportunity to continue to learn the language and culture outside of my one Spanish class.
ReplyDeleteI am happy that UNC is creating materials in spanish to reach out to the latino/hispanic community that is in Greeley. I wish that more of our staff new spanish as I feel that we would be able to connect more to the community as well, but we have to start somewhere!