Dr' Colin Baker

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• Dr. Colin Baker
• Presented courtesy of
• Southern Business Communications

GLOBAL LANGUAGE CONVENTION 2008
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Changing Perspectives on Dual Language Education
Colin Baker School of Education Bangor University
(Wales,UK)
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• OVERVIEW
• Introduction
• 2. Four Perspectives on Dual Language Education
• 3. A Contemporary Framing of Dual Language
  Education
• Child-Centred Dual Language and Multilingual
  Education
• Conclusion

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1. INTRODUCTION Dual Language, Bilingual
Education and Multilingual Education are terms
used ambiguously. To establish common ground
where some, most or all curriculum content is
learnt through more than one language. Dual
Language Education has increasingly gained
positive associations.
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2. Four Perspectives on Dual Language
Education Dual Language Education cannot be
understood from only an educational perspective.
It requires multidisciplinary perspectives,
e.g. 2a Language (Acquisition) Planning
Perspective where BE is often an essential
production line for new speakers when there is a
shortfall in family language reproduction. But
language planning perspective has a limited
view of the aims of bilingual education and
there can be over-optimism about the impact of
schools on producing language communities and
accepted legitimate speakers.
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2b Political Perspective varies from melting
pot assimilation (e.g. 1990s TBE in the US), to
mosaic pluralism (Canadian Immersion) to
Peace schools in Israel (Hebrew / Arabic).
Behind bilingual education are debates
about national identity, dominance and control by
elites and counter elites, power relationships,
political and social cohesion, unity and
diversity.
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2c An Economic Perspective on Dual Language
Education is also valuable. Example Nadine
Dutchers (1995,2004) research for the World Bank
suggests that bilingual education is economically
cost-efficient by providing higher levels of
achievement in fewer years of study lower
drop-out rates and creates a more skilled
workforce and less unemployment. 2d and a
Pedagogical Perspective on Bilingual
Education...
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3. Framing Dual Language Education The
Pedagogical Perspective on Bilingual Education
typically begins with a typology Immersion
Heritage Language Dual Language Mainstream
Bilingual Transitional BE etc.. Typologies have
limitations static, many variations within
models not about processes nor provide
explanations essentialist and reductionist ...
and ... do not capture variety (immigrant,
indigenous, immersion) that can occur within one
classroom. More valuable to engage the key
language issues on which pedagogic decisions
are needed. For example
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Ten Language Issues in Dual Language
Education 1. Language(s) of children in the
classroom majority, indigenous or in-migrant
minority, bilinguals from birth, European
language or non-European language, etc? Class may
contain mixture. 2. Language balance of the
intake (e.g. majority / minority language). 3.
Language allocation in content teaching (e.g.
Science, Mathematics). Developmental strategies
across grades. Hidden and non-curriculum use of
languages. Code-switching Scaffolding. 4.
Language profile of ALL the staff (competence,
use, attitude).
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5. Language of curriculum resources especially
electronic (e.g. ICT, e-learning, WWW). 6.
Language aims, targets, outcomes monolingualism,
bilingualism, multilingualism, biliteracy,
multiliteracies, employability, identity,
community integration, overall achievement of
children. Bilingual Education is no guarantee of
effective schooling. Type of language learnt at
school is often academic not vernacular. 7.
Effectiveness of Dual Language Education Impact
of North American research used in Europe to
persuade and to market to parents, public and
politicians. But the value of bilingual
education is not self-evident.
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8. The role of parents. Language partners
cultural funds of knowledge excluded? 9. The
role of English for communication or academic
purposes for content learning or language
learning? 10. Teacher training, extended
professional development and teacher supply are
foundational.
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These four perspectives are about systems. We
also need a child persepctive.
Language planning, political, economic and
pedagogic perspectives on bilingual education do
not capture the Humanist tradition of
child-centeredness in education that is our
historical legacy, e.g. Comenius, John Locke,
Rousseau, Pestalozzi , Froebel, Maria Montessori,
John Dewey.
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• 4. Potential Advantages for Children
• from Dual Language Education
• Communication in regional, national,
  international languages. Two languages Twice
  the Choice. Languages for different domains.
  High levels of competence in both languages.
  Bridging between language generations, groups and
  crossing language borders. Increased social
  capital.
• 2. Biliteracy / Multiliteracies accessing
  different literatures, world-views, ways of
  thinking and acting enshrined in heritage and
  modern literacies.
• 3. Biculturalism / Multiculturalism accessing
  more varied accumulated meanings and widening
  understandings for different languages.

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• Cognitive benefits IQ, divergent and creative
  thinking sensitivity in communication,
  metalinguistic advantages.
• 5. Self Esteem being proud of switching
  languages, dual or multiple language ownership.
  Compare to effects of language repression.
• 6. Curriculum achievement solid research from
  U.S. on Dual Language Schools and from
• Canada on immersion, and a
• growing European literature on the
• superior performance of those in bilingual
  education.

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7. Learning a third or fourth language.
Bilinguals appear to have advantages in new
language learning. 8. Economic and Employment
advantages increasing demand for bilinguals /
multilinguals wherever there is a customer
interface. Sometimes due to government policy,
sometimes for profit. Sometimes essential,
other times valued added. E.G. Translation and
Interpretation.
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CONCLUSION Dual Language Schools and Canadian
Immersion Education have a prolific literature.
The educational evidence is overwhelming in
support. Where there is opposition, it is
typically political. In a world with
increasingly better communications, trade
cooperation, global understandings, then dual
language students are being given child-centred
advantages
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Potential Advantages for CHILDREN in Dual
Language Education Communication Cultural
Curriculum Cognitive Character Cash
Therefore, is any child not educated
bilingually being disadvantaged?