One cannot separate the American lifestyle from the droves of immigrants that helped shape it. Diversity is a part of the fabric of America that makes it unique. As a result of this increasingly diverse culture many children grow up in bilingual households. Research has found both advantages and disadvantages to growing up in a bilingual household. The controversy over bilingual classrooms first surfaced in the mid-1960s and has gained in importance as the population becomes increasingly culturally diverse. The following will explore the advantages and disadvantages of bilingualism, with a focus on how if affects the educational system. It will focus on research into the growing trend that calls for the provision of culturally sensitive or bilingual materials in the classroom. It will answer the question, "What are the advantages and disadvantages of a bilingual school curriculum?"
             Although immigrants have formed a significant portion of the American population, English has remained the dominant language. Recently, the popular media has made an argument that the use of Spanish is quickly matching English in daily usage. However, schools are still taught in English and English is still the language used to conduct business in a majority of the country (Souto-Manning, 2006). There may be isolated pockets where Spanish is growing rapidly enough to be considered the dominant language, but this phenomenon is restricted to isolated pockets.
             In areas of the country where another language is more prevalent than English the question has been raised as to whether a bilingual curriculum should be taught. This topic created many divides among administrators, teachers, and parents. There are many topics that must be considered when addressing the issue of bilingual education (Nichols, 2001). One side of the issue says that students should be taught English as they will need this language to conduct business when they grow up. Sup...