Assessing English Writing Skills of Students from Bilingual and Non-bilingual Schools in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. A Comparative Study

Abstract

The teaching of foreign languages and the use of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) methodology is hugely popular in Spain nowadays. Many families are interested in this type of academic training because they are convinced the academic results are positive, but the question is whether it is in fact the case that foreign language level increases. The aim of this study was to analyse the different level of English writing skills of 4th grade students from both compulsory bilingual and non-bilingual secondary schools in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). From the results of the study, we were able to examine whether bilingual programs help students improve their English writing skills as well as to compare the results obtained by bilingual schools in Castilla-La Mancha with those developed in other Spanish, or even European, regions.