Today's student's speak over 100 languages, including French, Spanish, Hmong, and Chinese. There is a massive shortage of teachers certified to teach LEP students. Less than 1 in 5 teachers who currently serve LEP students are certified to teach LEP students. Nearly a third of all LEP students receive no tailored assistance in understanding what is being taught. That means that they are not taught how to speak English nor given extra help in understanding their math or history classes.
Bilingual education is simply the use of two languages for instruction.
In the U.S., bilingual education is the use of English and another language in instruction. Many other nations employ bilingual educational techniques, using hundreds of the world's languages. Bilingual education has been practiced in the U.S. for over 200 years. For example, both native Spanish and native English speakers might participate in a English-Spanish bilingual education program. In practice, an LEP, bilingual education student in the U.S. receives part of their instruction in English and part in another language.