EL 104 1st FINALS

Lesson 10: Typology of Bilingual Education Programs

What is Bilingual Education?

Bilingual education is the teaching of academic content in two languages, one native and one second
language.

Different types of Bilingual Education:

Bilingual Education:
 Bilingual education means that students are given information in more than one language. Many
educational systems and programs are bilingual in some way, but the extent to which the two (or
more) instructional languages are used and the program structure vary greatly.
Submersion:
 Language minority students are placed in an ordinary classroom where English is spoken. There is
no special program to help them overcome the language problem. Submersion is aptly described
as “sink or swim” The minority home language (L1) is not used at all in the classroom. In Lau v.
Nichols the Supreme Court found that the submersion approach violated the civil rights of
language-minority students and that schools had to make an extra effort to help overcome the
language problems of these students.
Two-way Bilingual Education:
 Fluent or native speakers of both English and another language are placed in the same classroom
and instructed in both languages alternately. The goal is for both groups of speakers to become
fluent in the other language. This form of education is most effective if implemented for a period of
several years or more.
English as a Second language (ESL)
 Non-English speaking students are placed in English-speaking classrooms for part of the day. The
other part of the day the students are in a classroom with a trained ESL instructor, where they
receive individual and concentrated instruction on the learning of English. The students are held
responsible for the content taught in the English-speaking courses they take.
Immersion:
 Immersion promotes bilingualism with the goal of developing native-like competence in English
without losing fluency in a student's first language. The method resembles the way children
acquire their first language, in which learners are provided with an environment where they can
pick up English with little to no explanation. They interact with native speakers and constantly
develop proficiency by adding new vocabulary and contexts to their comprehension and
assimilation.
Three language system:
 Students are initially educated in an official state language. A second language, an official language
of the Union, is introduced after approximately two years. After another several years, a third
language, "any Modern Indian Language" not already taught, is introduced academically. At the
conclusion of the child's education, he or she will be proficient (if not fluent) in at least three
languages. However, the system does not "provide a place for such mother tongues that are
different from the Regional Languages", though more languages are represented in this program.

Do you think being bilingual has positive impact? Why?

Bilingual education has a positive impact wherein the student will become well versed.
Some school systems claim to practice bilingual education because their cultural minority student knows
another language aside form the one used in school.
But such programs with monolingual medium of formal instruction do not actually represent a type of
bilingual education at all. Their students may be bilingual for the time being not because of monolingual
school system that are design to assimilate minorities.
There was a researcher, his username is Baker. He provides a summary of --- of language program for
Bilingual. The typology of Bilingual Program has 10 types and are classified into 3.

1. Monolingual Form of Language Program for Bilingual (Monolingual Form of Education for
Bilingual)
The aim of Monolingual Form od Education is to develop the language skill gradually in the second
language so that one day the student will not need support anymore.
 3 Types
o Mainstreaming or Submersion (Structured Immersion)
o Mainstreaming Submersion with withdrawal classes (Sheltered English)
o Segregationist -

Structured Immersion vs Sheltered English

 The difference will lie on how the teacher will teach the class.
 Structured Immersion – the student has to swim in the new environment by himself/herself and
we assume that one day he/she will catch up.
 Sheltered Immersion – teachers are aware that there are some students that may need constant
support to understand the content. The instruction will be sheltered in which the teacher will
rephrase the content with a simple syntax and the teacher will speak slowly, clearly, and
frequently to check the understanding of the students.
 Sheltered – the support of the teacher is there
2. Weak Form of Bilingual Education
3. Strong Form of Bilingual Education.
Do you agree that Language Uniformity is required to achieve nations unity?
Let us rejoice in the diversity of our languages which is the sign of our civilization’s greatness. To
counteract linguistic nationalism, we need to re energize multilingualism which has been part of our
culture.
We must emphasize the importance of equal regional in community growth in order to ensure language
equality.