Students in English III were given a double challenge:

1. to come up with a lesson plan/ lecture notes to teach   persuasive writing
2. to write a persuasive essay   

Irma rose to this challenge by writing a persuasive essay on bilingual education.  Irma speaks two languages and works in education.  She said, "When you assigned this,  I knew right away that this was my golden opportunity to become familiar with the latest research on bilingual education. The research   deepened my convictions on the value of bilingual ed."   

    15 POINT LESSON PLAN

2.  ARGUMENTS IN EVERYDAY LIFE:
Let's go to Burger King instead of McDonald's.
Mandatory seat belt laws are an intrusion of my civil rights.

3.  WHAT DO ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS DO?
Some arguments declare the best solutions to a problem

• "Raising the drinking age will decrease traffic accidents."

• Some arguments argue a certain way of looking at an issue
  • "Beauty pageants degrade women."
• Some arguments urge to accept a plan of action - to vote yes for a cause
  • "Voters should pass ordinance 10 to fund a new aquatic center."
     

4.  WHERE ELSE DO YOU SEE ARGUMENTS?

• Some arguments are carried on via letters
  • "Would you reimburse me, repair this"
    "I am the best candidate for the job - the promotion...
• Some arguments are done via advertising in magazines, billboards, TV, radio, newspapers, the web...
  • "Buy Cold Eeze; accept no substitutes"
• Some arguments are written up in pamphlets, long reports, books
  • Assessment of Prior Learning - give me credit for these courses
    Books and pamphlets on the latest way to raise good and bright & healthy kids.
     

5.  HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU'VE WRITTEN A GOOD ARGUMENT?
If you've won over (convinced) the opposition of your viewpoint,
it's great!

6.  HOW DO I DEVELOP AND ORGANIZE AN EFFECTIVE ARGUMENT?

• Select a good debatable topic not an obvious statistic
  Children watch X hours of TV each week (no good)
  Children watch too much TV (no good)
  The effect of excessive TV viewing is... (good)
   
• Come up with a thesis (proposition)
  Increased viewing of television promotes aggressiveness and negatively affects academic success.
• Write down a listing of reasons, points, studies, experiences, examples, anecdotes, definitions, graphs..., that supports your view
• Anticipate the opposing view. (Arguments assume there is more than one side to the issue)
• Write down a listing of everything the opposition might argue.
• Prepare a refutation for each of these points
• Know and remember your audience
  (young, old, drug taking, abstainers, poor, rich, athletic...)
  The elderly would support medical coverage, the athletes would support new gyms, young moms would support reduced day care fees...)
  

7.  Write a pro and con list as follows:

MY SIDE SUPPORTING BILINGUAL EDUCATION:
bilingual education is good
definition of "bilingualism"
you are able to communicate with a broader number of people: Make phone calls, go shopping, talk to friends and neighbors, talk to people in general, talk to teachers in school, get a job, go to church, be accepted in the community someone who is bilingual is worth two better paying jobs
Cognitive advantage over monolingual
successful two way bilingual programs - New Haven, Windham, New London at RMMS and the most recently at Edgerton

 MY OPPOSITION'S SIDE AGAINST BILINGUAL EDUCATION:
bilingual education is harmful
hindering a child's education
can be exempt from State testing due to bilingual services (ESL)
Spanish has no place in the world
You are considered a low class person if you speak Spanish
there are more useful languages than Spanish
Spanish will disappear in this area
erroneous notion about the English learning
Proposition 227 - English instruction only in California Public Schools

points 2 & 7 - define "bilingualism" in order for the audience to
be clear and point out the successful programs in the State.

Although some people believe that bilingual education is harmful and unrealistic, bilingual education programs are increasing throughout the State and the country regardless of California's Proposition 227 because bilingual education is good.

Following are four sample development plans:

Pattern A (presents your side first)
Thesis
Body paragraph 1: you present your first point and its supporting evidence
Body paragraph 2: you present your second point and its supporting evidence
Body paragraph 3: you refute your opposition's first point
Body paragraph 4: you refute your opposition's second point
Conclusion

Pattern B (clear away opposition's claims before you present your side)

Thesis
Body paragraph 1: you refute your opposition's first point
Body paragraph 2: you refute your opposition's second point
Body paragraph 3: you present your first point and its supporting evidence
Conclusion

Pattern C: (Use when the main arguments you want to present are the same  ones that will refute or answer your opposition's primary claims)

Thesis
Body paragraph 1 (or 1 & 2): you present your first point and its supporting evidence, which also refutes one of your opposition's claims.
Body paragraph 2 (or 3 & 4) you present a second point and its supporting evidence, which also refutes a second opposition claim
Body paragraph 3 (or 5 & 6) you present a third point and its supporting evidence, which also refutes a third opposition claim.
Conclusion

Pattern D - a combination approach - you might have a strong point to argue, another point that simultaneously answers one of your opposition's strongest claims, and another opposition point you want to refute

Thesis
Body paragraph 1: A point for your side
Body paragraph 2: One of your points, which also refutes an opposition claim
Body paragraph 3: Your refutation of another opposition claim
Conclusion

Pattern E - Rogerian technique (instead of going on the defensive and

trying to "win" the argument, each side should try to recognize common ground and then develop a solution that will address the needs of both parties. A Rogerian argument uses the following techniques:

A clear objective statement of the problem or issue
A clear objective summary of the opposition's position that shows you understand its point of view and goals
A clear objective summary of your point of view, stated in non-threatening language
A discussion that emphasized the beliefs, values, and goals that you and your opposition have in common
A description of any of your points that you are willing to concede or compromise
An explanation of a plan or proposed solution that meets the needs of both sides

(Pattern D for example)

Revised working thesis and essay map: Although some people believe that bilingual education is harmful and unrealistic, bilingual education programs are increasing throughout the State and the country regardless of California's Proposition 227 because bilingual education is good, it enables people to communicate with a broader group, and enables bilingual people to have better paying jobs.

Body paragraph 1 (A point for your side): Being a bilingual person or a balanced bilingual is someone who has a reasonable or good ability to listen, speak, write and read in two languages.

Body paragraph 2 (One of your points, which also refutes an
opposition claim): Monolingual parents will not be able to support their child in any English assignments causing the child to become confused and frustrated.

Body paragraph 3 (Your refutation of another opposition claim):

Erroneous notion that in order for their child, whose native language is Spanish, to learn and be successful in school he or she has to receive intensive instruction in English. However, when taught in a two-way bilingual program, students are by far more successful.

13 Argue your ideas logically by providing sufficient reasons for your position. Some ways of supporting your ideas are as follows:

Give examples (real or hypothetical): English immersion program for native Spanish speakers is not good especially when having monolingual parents, because they will not be able to help their child with assignments, the child in turn will become frustrated and confused.

Present a comparison or contrast: The correlation between English and Spanish - a finding clearly contradicts that teaching in the home language is detrimental to English. Rather the two languages are interdependent within the bilingual child, reinforcing each other. (Connections 454)

Show a cause and effect relationship: Mainstreaming native Spanish speakers into an English immersion system only, means he or she will not be successful in school.

Argue by definition: A bilingual person or a balanced bilingual is someone who has a reasonable or good ability to listen, speak, write and read in two languages.

Hasty generalization: The writer bases the argument on insufficient or unrepresentative evidence. Ex. You own two poodles & they've attacked you -
conclusion - all poodles are vicious. Ex. You interview only athletes -
conclusion - university students favor new stadium.

Begging the question: The writer presents as truth what is supposed to be proven by the argument. Ex. "Dangerous pornography should be banned" begs the question because the writer gives no evidence for what must first be argued, not merely asserted - that pornography is dangerous.

Red herring: The writer introduces an irrelevant point to divert the reader's attention from the main issue. Ex. A says B does not do dishes when it's his turn. B then brings up time A did not repay debt.

Argument ad hominem: The writer attacks the opponent's character rather than the opponent's argument. Ex. don't go to that eye doctor - he's been divorced 5 times.

Argument ad popolum: The writer evades the subject by appealing to the readers' emotional reactions to certain subjects: Ex. "If you are a true American, you will vote against the referendum on busing." The writer avoids any discussion on the merits or weaknesses of the bill and merely substitutes an emotional appeal.

Either/or: The writer tries to convince the readers that there are only two sides to an issue - one right and one wrong. Ex. "If you don't go to war against Iceland, you don't love your country."

Hypostatization: The writer uses an abstract concept as if it were a concrete reality. Ex. "History has taught us... Science has proven...
Research has discovered..."

Bandwagon appeal: The writer tries to validate a point by intimidating that "everyone else believes in this." Ex. Everyone who demands real taste smokes Phooey cigarettes. Discriminating women use Smacky Mount lipstick.

Straw man: The writer selects the opposition's weakest or most significant point to argue against, to divert the readers attention from the real issue. Ex. Nixon said he'd keep Checkers for Tricia - he never mentioned returning $18,000 in missing campaign funds.

Faulty analogy: The writer uses an extended comparison as proof of a point
Ex. Putting teenagers in sex education classes is like taking an alcoholic to a bar.

Post hoc fallacy (after this): Assuming that because one event follows another in time, the first event caused the second. Ex. Marijuana leads to heroin - cigarettes lead to marijuana - coffee leads to cigarettes...

Inappropriate authority: Because one talented in one field, one may not be talented in all fields. Ex. sports figures may know sneakers, but not necessarily the best pantyhose or medicine

Bilingual Education: Harmful or Good

Is bilingual education harmful or good? Over the past twenty years, substantial research has been done on the strengths and weaknesses of language education programs. The results of this research have been about the education of English Language learners in American schools. For example research shows conclusively that it takes between seven and ten years to master the academic language of any country.

First of all let's analyze the meaning of "bilingual". It is very difficult to determine at a glance whether or not a person is bilingual. Some speak a language, but do not read or write in that language. Some listen with understanding and read the language (passive bilingualism) but do not speak or write that language. Some understand a spoken language but do not themselves speak that language. Tourists with a few phrases and business people with a few greetings in a second language would be incipient bilingual. However, being a bilingual person or a balanced bilingual is someone who has a reasonable or good ability to listen, speak, write and read in two languages.

Some people, like Richard Rodriguez, (Connections 457) who are  forced to learn English as a second language, may or may not have a painful experience. First of all I believe that a second language should not be forced upon a child. We should teach our children to be proud of their heritage; but when you are born to immigrants, who don't speak English, in this country, you have an opportunity to speak your native language at home and at the same time learn English in public and in school. We cannot let one person's point of view and his childhood experiences truncate the efforts being made in support of bilingual education in the country.

Many Hispanics living in California voted in favor of Proposition 227, not openly knowing the repercussions this will bring to their children's future and will regret this decision for years to come. Proposition 227 forces California schools to teach only in English, regardless of ethnicity. For Hispanics this is not good, especially those whose native language is Spanish and whose parents are monolingual in the Spanish language, because they will not be able to support their child in any English assignments causing the child to become confused and frustrated. Eventually this child will be another statistic dropout number.

Some native Spanish speaking parents have the erroneous notion that in order for their child, whose native language is Spanish, to learn and be successful in school he or she has to receive intensive instruction in English. However, when taught in a two-way bilingual program, students are by far more successful, becoming proficient in both languages. This is a program where students whose native language is English and students whose native language is Spanish are placed in a same class with the idea that each set of students will become proficient in each others' language.

Angelo Gonzalez' article confirms this when he states: At Yale University, Kenji Hakuta, a linguist, reported recently on a study of working-class Hispanic students in the New Haven  bilingual program. He found that children who were the most bilingual, that is, who developed English without the loss of Spanish, were the brighter in both verbal and nonverbal tests. Over time, there was an increasing correlation between English and Spanish - a finding that clearly contradicts the charge that teaching in the home language is detrimental to English. Rather the two languages are interdependent within the bilingual child, reinforcing each other. (Connections 454)

There are many ways and methods of teaching a child or an adult a second language; however, research has proven that currently, two-way bilingual programs are the most successful in reaching this goal. During the past three years we have seen the increase in this type of program in the State. We have three very successful two-way bilingual programs in the State; New Haven, Windham and New London, one at the Regional Multicultural Magnet School and the most recently opened at Edgerton School.