While monolingual students have built in deficits to their native tongue due to their upraising, bilingual children are not so limited. In fact, because they must learn a completely new language they pay more specific attention in the mastery of vocabulary and other key indicators to future success within literary and reading comprehension.
Furthermore, it is shown that children with English as their second language are ultimately better off in the long run due to several factors. They are more likely to leave their entry level school system and enter into separate school systems than monolingual children. Several factors contribute to this, high achievement with bilinguals means that they are often selected to magnet schools,...
Also, bilingual children are also less likely to be referred to correctional services or the Child Adjustment Services than monolingual children.
Rogers concludes that being bilingual is a built in advantage rather than disadvantage. Although it is true that initially children will suffer and be at the low end within classroom performance, their bilingual advantage causes greater benefits in the long-term. Exposure to two languages raises their overall school
performance because they must work harder and therefore have an early ingrained work ethic that monolinguals do not have. The
reflection of Rogers' analysis shows that in the short-term children with English as a second language fall behind, however in the long run their bilingual roots actually helps them outperform their peers who are monolingual and at the same time they are much more disciplined.
Rogers, R.S., & Wright, E.N. (1969, July 7). The School Achievement of Kindergarten Pupils for Whom English is a Second Language. Canadian Education Journal. Retrieved December 17, 2006, from ERIC database.
