ABSTRACT
In Chapter 1, I pointed out that nearly one in five Americans speak a language other than English at home and that many of these people are bilingual in English and their mother tongue. In this chapter, I discuss reasons for promoting the bilingualism of these individuals and how doing so makes economic and political sense for the mainstream English-speaking society. I show how the languages that are learned and used by immigrant and indigenous populations in their communities are a national asset, a resource that must be treasured and not wasted. I describe the current state of ethnic and indigenous language education in the U.S. and the benefits and challenges of developing heritage language programs. I will argue that creating a “language-competent society” requires a major change in attitude toward minority languages and that language professionals and educators play a significant role in bringing about that change. I first begin with a story of an Indian immigrant who became a soldier in the U.S. Army.
