THE HISTORY AND PRESENT STATUS OF BILINGUAL EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

This paper aims to examine possible solutions for bilingual education in the context of a multicultural society based on the experience in the US. The US was built by migrants. The earliest example of bilingual education is found in the mid-nineteenth century. In the second half of the twentieth century, the federal government tried to include bilingual education as part of their national policy. Therefore, I have traced the history of bilingual education in the US through the first half of the twentieth century. Next, I have analyzed the general trend in the US government’s bilingual policy in the second half of the twentieth century. Finally, I have discussed the current situation in bilingual education in the US using the case in California as an example