Date of Award

12-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in English and Writing Studies

Department

English

First Reader/Committee Chair

Dr. Erin Hall

Abstract

In June 1998, California voters passed Proposition 227, a ballot initiative mandating that all public school instruction be conducted in English, with over 61% approval. This policy imposed additional challenges on students with limited English proficiency (LEP), many of whom are immigrants or children of immigrants. At the margins of these political and educational agendas lies the issue of bilingual education. This study examines the role of bilingual education in multilingual contexts and critiques the continued reliance on monolingual frameworks that marginalize linguistic diversity. Focusing on Proposition 227 (1998) and its repeal through Proposition 58 (2016), the research explores shifting discourses around language policy in California schools. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and digital tools such as Taguette (Rampin & Rampin, 2021) and AntConc (Anthony, 2022) this paper analyzes media texts from two linguistic corpora to identify how bilingual education is often framed as a transitional means to English fluency. Findings reveal dominant discourses that promote English-only instruction, reinforcing white, monolingual norms under the guise of academic rigor and national unity. These narratives often construct bilingualism as a deficit, overlooking the sociocultural strengths of multilingual learners. The study calls for a reimagining of language education that affirms multilingualism and exposes how language policy sustains systemic inequities.

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