Concluding Thoughts

On a theoretical level, there are two main reasons for why a child would speak more than one language. The first reason is that they – or rather, their families – have the financial means to support and facilitate opportunities to learn more than just their native tongue. This could come through a variety of different channels, such as by registering their kids to advanced academic programs and institutions, working with private tutors or lessons, or by having the financial power to purchase language-comprehension resources (books, online memberships, etc.). In other words, learning a foreign language is a luxury. A child who has these opportunities at their disposal also has the privilege of living in an environment where they can learn without worrying about essential needs like food, water, or shelter. On the flip side, the second theoretical explanation for why a child can speak more than their native language is if they are subjected to environments where they have no choice but to learn a second language. This is generally the case for the children of immigrants, especially in America.

This is especially prevalent in Texas, where many Hispanic families immigrate for work opportunities. The children of these immigrants are subjected to schools where they are necessitated to adopt the English language, despite speaking only Spanish at home. Many of these children live in low-income areas and attend schools with lower federal funding; their parents work paycheck to paycheck, and face limitations on their abilities to move up the social and professional ladder. For these children, learning a new language is a necessity, not a luxury. Therefore, making the distinction between luxury learning and necessity learning is paramount to our understanding of the relationship between languages and academic performance.

The ovewhelming majority of the already existing scholarship on this topic is limited to how exposing native English speakers to foreign languages can shape their academic development. While this is an incredibly important arena which contributes significant important academic developments, we must realize that our current understanding is only limited to "luxury" learners – children who have the privilege to choose whether they want to learn other languages, as opposed to "necessity" learners – children who have no choice but to learn a foreign language – English – to attend public schools and properly assimilate to an English speaking country.

To contend that "necessity learners" benefit from the same advantages of "luxury learners" would be ignoring the systematic disadvantages that non-native English speakers have been exposed to in the Texas public schooling infrastructure. Although there are some similarities between "luxury learners" and "necessity learners", there are many fundamental differences between what the two groups of learners are exposed to.

My four key findings seemed counterintuitive to what I previously would have assumed about language learning and performance on standardized exams. All four of my key findings were unexpected, further emphasizing the notion that there is no homogeneity within Texas Public Schools.

For instance, I would have assumed that those who perform well on the SAT probably perform to a similar degree on the ACT – this, according to my findings, was not the case because of systematic differences between schools with lower %EL and consequently lower state wide funding. 

There is much room for further development in this academic arena, but I hope to have contributed a general framework on which further scholarship can be built upon.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about this topic. 

- Esat Bayar

Harvard University

Class of 2021