Successful Bilingual and Immersion/Education Models Programs

Early

Middle

Late

Bilingual education is instruction in two languages and the use of those two languages as mediums of instruction for any part, or all, of the school curriculum

Program design need sociocultural awareness to consider questions of power, culture and identity.

•Language as a resource. Goal: Bilingualism

•Minority language as a problem to overcome. Goal: Monolingualism

Language minority students perform better academically in their native language

L1 schooling is a predictor of L2 achievement

Criteria for program success in two-way immersion education:

1. A minimum of 4 to 6 years of bilingual instruction

2. The focus of instruction should be the same core academic curriculum that students in other programs experience

3. Optimal language input as well as opportunities for output should be provided

4. The target language should be used for instruction a minimum of 50% of the time

5. The program should provide an additive bilingual environment

6. Classrooms should include a balance of students from the target language and L1 backgrounds

7. Positive interactions among students should be facilitated by the use of strategies such as cooperative learning.

8. Characteristics of effective schools should be incorporated into programs, such as qualified personnel and home-school collaboration.

Total

Partial

Two-way

Enrichment (Additive): Aim at bilingualism and the extension of the minority language

Heritage (Additive): Aim at the rejuvenation of an indigenous language.

Maintenance (Additive): L1 is only the basis of L2 learning.

Transitional (Subtractive): Replace L1 for L2.

Community involvement is important for identity reconciliation and essential in heritage programs

Pedagogic frameworks will come from philosophical frameworks adapted in school policy.

Equitable Interaction: Promotion of positive interactions between teacher and learners.

Targeted and Varied Teaching Techniques: respond to different learning styles

Student-Centered Teaching and Learning: encourage students to share their linguistic codes and cultural knowledge

Sharing Between Learners: Cooperative learning strategies should be encouraged.

Language through Common Task Orientation: Linguistic knowledge transfer will occur when the cooperative learning strategy is focused around a language task