In the United States there is the presupposition that bilingual education is the answer to teaching linguistically diverse children.  The idea is that the children who have a mother tongue other than English and do not speak English as their own language will be sufficiently able to merge and communicate with the major culture of the States while being taught the majority of their classes in their native tongue.  In many cases this presupposition creates a setting where the same children are never exposed to English beyond a few hours of each school day. Continue reading →