One difficult idea to argue for or against is whether different languages have places in different classes.  Should students be able to speak or write in their native languages in the class or should they be learning English principally?  It is very important that students learn English since we live in an area where English is the predominant language.  On the other hand, students who have learned to speak a different language at home may feel disenfranchised if they are prevented from speaking their own language.  Thus, they may learn at an inhibited level compared to those who have grown up speaking English at home.

I personally believe that there is a place for another language in the classroom.  I believe that students can adequately express themselves if they write in their own language in journals, graphic novels, illustrations, maps, etc.  Plus, it’s not too difficult for the teacher to check the meaning of some of those ideas on Google Translate or any other translating machine on the Internet.  Nevertheless, it is important to remember that students should be learning English in the public school system of British Columbia, so it is important that teachers gently push ELLs to begin expressing themselves in English at some point.