Argumentation: An Effective Example

By: Sean Savoie

            An effective example of argumentation: 

              As a policy, bilingual education, the teaching of immigrant students using the native language of this country, English, and the language of their home country, creates many more problems than it can ever solve. A country is unified through language more than any other single element. Effective communication, essential for business interaction, social development, and cultural identity, is at the very center of the educational process. Especially in a multicultural country such as the United States, a policy of bilingual education must be prevented.

            Educating children using their native language upon entering the United States retards the students’ educational and social development. Many immigrant parents have expressed concern that their children lack confidence because of their inability to use English fluently in school. English language proficiency is certainly a struggle for most new immigrants to this country, yet this adaptation process is not only beneficial for adjustment to the American way of life, but also instrumental in developing a child’s cognitive abilities, enabling young people to further enhance analytical and creative skills during a key time when the human brain is still growing. Children, who absorb information quickly, have a far greater capacity to master a language than adults. In being pushed to acquire English, an immigrant student will eventually become more empowered than his or her English-only speaking counterparts.

            The movement toward a bilingual educational system will do more than just complicate the lives of children. Although the U.S. is multinational, the infrastructure of the country is established and operated in English. Sure, of course, documents, interviews, court hearings, laws, etc… can all be translated, but into which language? Will it be Spanish, Russian, or Chinese? Provisions are made in the law for people who have trouble understanding English, but if children are taught and receive diplomas in various languages, the government and associated agencies will be required to address the needs of citizens in languages other than English. With a governmental system as complex as that of the U.S. government, this is not only difficult, but impractical and counterproductive.

            This is not to say that native speakers of English should not study foreign languages. Indeed, American children should be required to become more proficient in foreign languages than they are now. Young Americans becoming able to communicate in various languages will make the United States more competitive in the quickly changing world. However, bilingual education and foreign language training are two completely different issues and must be treated as such. In China, which has effectively made Mandarin Chinese the official language for education, English is taught beginning at the earliest stages of education and even required for college entrance. Nevertheless, Mandarin Chinese is, and will remain, the official language of China. This is no accident. Very strict policy regarding language has given China the increased ability to soon become the largest economy in the world. The unity created by use of a common language is essential in today’s world and with English being spoken as an international language, the investment is clear.

            In order to combat the problems many immigrants have upon entering the United States, the government should increase the funding and incentives for all new citizens to completely master the English language. In this way, the country and all the many various parts will benefit as a whole.

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             Some aspects of the above essay should be noted. You can see that there is not one single statistic mentioned in the essay. The logical reasoning and examples still appear to make the argument strong, which is because the information used to support the position is common knowledge. Refutations and concessions also make the essay more reasonable. The example of China making Mandarin Chinese the official language of China adds to the strength of the essay. Notice that the solution to the problem is a simple suggestion that the U.S. government fund and give incentives for new citizens to master English. In an argument, the solution need not be the focus of the essay.

If given more time to write this essay, I may have included the benefits of my having studied Japanese in Japan and Chinese in Taiwan. I would also include statistics about the growth of China and rate of immigration to the USA; however, sound and valid reasoning are often enough to support an effective argument.