The State of Hispanic Education: Correlations Between Educational Attainment, Nativity and Language in Illinois

The purpose of this study is to investigate the levels of educational attainment for Hispanics in Illinois and to gain an understanding of why possible trends occur. The research question is: What is the correlation between English proficiency, nativity and educational attainment for Hispanics as compared with the overall population in Cook and McLean counties? In order to determine the correlation between these variables, data from the 2000 US Census were analyzed for the two population groups. Pertinent data included selected social characteristics, such as levels of educational attainment, nativity and language spoken at home. Though some statistical variation exists based on location, the overall findings indicate that levels of educational attainment are lower for the Hispanic population. Furthermore, as the percentages of the foreign born population and those who spoke English less than \u27very well\u27 increase, the levels of educational attainment decrease in all three geographic areas. These findings indicate a need to explore bilingual education programs within Illinois, particularly those that focus on English Language Learners

Heritage Spanish Speakers: Self Confidence through Study Abroad

This study, describes the perception heritage Spanish-speakers have of their language abilities after they have studied abroad in a Spanish-speaking country. Research has shown that many heritage speakers struggle with their confidence in their heritage language, but that after studying abroad, the student\u27s confidence in their language capabilities increases. The research questions include: Do the students have a higher self-confidence in speaking their native language after studying abroad? Do their perceptions of their language abilities change throughout the course of their study abroad experience? What do their heritage Spanish-speaking students feel effected their perceived language change after study abroad: improved vocabulary, pronunciation or knowledge of the general culture? The participants of this study will consist of native Spanish speaking students who have studied abroad in a Spanish-speaking country. The data will be collected through a questionnaire and interviews of native speakers who have studied abroad within the past three years. The conclusions hope to show a direct correlation of to an increase in self-confidence in language capabilities, and studying-abroad

Healthcare for Hispanics in the United States

Many Hispanic adults in the U.S. do not receive adequate healthcare. This study seeks to explore the causes of this phenomenon: is it due to a language or educational barrier, the cost prohibitive nature of proper healthcare, undocumented status, or myths and false rumors that have spread throughout the Hispanic community regarding health insurance? Data will be collected and analyzed from the Pew Hispanic Center and from the 2009 U.S. Census, which will contain information regarding a variety of factors that could possibly explain the underlying reasons why Hispanics do not receive adequate healthcare. These factors could include English language proficiency, income levels, education levels, and differences in access to healthcare among different ethnicities. The study will divide ethnicities into the following categories (in order of most populous to least populous): Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central American, and South American. The study will also attempt to interpret and present Hispanics\u27 perceptions of health insurance in the United States through an interview with a leader of the Hispanic community in Bloomington-Normal. The study hopes to find that inadequate healthcare is caused by a problem that has a viable solution, and that the recent federal healthcare reform legislation will offer Hispanics greater access to health insurance and healthcare. Due to the demographic trends and political climate of the U.S., providing possible solutions to this issue is critical

The English-Only Movement and the Linguistic Future of the United States

This descriptive study investigates the opinions of proposed English-Only legislation and how the opinions of the current college generation will affect the future of this country\u27s language laws. The English-Only Movement, also known as the Official English movement, refers to a political movement to establish the English language as the only official language in the United States and in government operations. The data will be collected from university students via an online questionnaire focusing on the opinions of the use of English as the country\u27s legal language versus the presence of Spanish. Investigative questions regarding different demographics and background information will be used to determine if there is a collective consciousness or pattern within certain communities or groups, such as common birthplace, academic major, or specific ethnic group. Understanding a sampling of students\u27 opinions on this topic is important since they will have the responsibility regarding the linguistic and educational future of the Spanish-speaking population