Bilingual Education Policy Research Articles

More Bilingual Programs, No Matter What

Since 2011, the New York City (NYC) Department of Education (DOE) has engaged in a campaign to increase the number of bilingual programs it offers. This case presents the experiences of a principal who was asked by her superintendent to open a new Dual Language program. Having been a principal for only 1 year, and with little expertise about English Language Learner compliance and instruction, the principal engaged in a learning process that illuminated significant complexities not just about bilingual education policy, but also about the DOE’s bureaucracy, policy implementation in NYC, and the ambiguity of the principalship.

Lost in translation: is Taiwan’s bilingual policy in graduate school a myth?

PurposeThis study intended to bridge this gap by investigating the perspectives of international students regarding Taiwan’s bilingual education policy and its impact on their willingness to enroll in graduate programs in Taiwan. Additionally, the comparisons among international students from diverse backgrounds were examined.Design/methodology/approachEmploying a qualitative research design, the study included nine participants from three countries, with each country contributing three students. Three sessions of semi-structured interviews were conducted, supplemented by the analysis of 15 documents from 8 organizations and universities.FindingsResults indicated predominantly negative views toward Taiwan’s bilingual education policy, with little impact reported by two participants and none by others. Furthermore, themes derived from document analysis deviated from participants' viewpoints.Originality/valueA focus on students from southern Asia, which was the major source of international students in Taiwan, becomes critical. In the same vein, little literature has been found concerning graduate students' perceptions toward bilingual education policy, which should be thoroughly explored as well.

Influence of Bilingualism on Cognitive Abilities in Children in China

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the influence of bilingualism on cognitive abilities in children in China. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Research on bilingualism and cognitive abilities in children in China has indicated several significant findings. Studies suggest that bilingualism can enhance executive functioning skills, such as cognitive flexibility and attention control, leading to improved problem-solving abilities. Additionally, bilingual children often demonstrate advanced metalinguistic awareness and language development, with proficiency in both their native language and a second language. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Bilingual advantage hypothesis, socio-cultural theory & neuroplasticity theory may be used to anchor future studies on influence of bilingualism on cognitive abilities in children in China. Implement evidence-based instructional strategies educators should incorporate evidence-based instructional strategies that capitalize on the cognitive benefits of bilingualism. Advocate for bilingual education policies. Policymakers should advocate for the implementation of bilingual education policies that support language minority students' cognitive development.

Bilingual Education in China: Current Issues, Problem, and a Proposal for Change

Bilingualism is an important feature which may affect language learning and language instruction. The bilingual education has become an important and widely used teaching model in Chinese students’ English education. The purpose of this paper is to explore bilingual education issues and practices in China. This paper first introduces the background of Chinese language policies and then examines bilingual education policies and practices in China. It then analyzes issues exist in Chinese bilingual education. Through exploring and analyzing significances and issues exist in Chinese bilingual education, this paper reviews teaching strategies of effective bilingual education and provides practical suggestions and recommendations for Chinese bilingual education.

Student Perceptions of Bilingual Teaching Practices: Evidence from a Colombian University

ABSTRACT Recent studies in higher education suggest that teaching academic content using English as the Medium of Instruction (EMI) seems impractical and ineffective in countries where English is the second or foreign language. Additionally, students’ resistance to an English-only format remains problematic. University first language-English bilingual courses are a legitimate possibility to promote the internationalization of higher education in countries where English is the second or foreign language. However, little is known about students’ perceptions of Bilingual Teaching Practices (BTPs) in university courses and the Bilingual Study Techniques (BSTs) they use to deal with this type of practice. In this cross-sectional study, the 30-item questionnaire was adapted to explore the students’ (N = 1,615) perceptions and BSTs in a Colombian university. The results reveal that 50.8% of the respondents preferred the use of both Spanish and English in their university courses. “Discipline-specific vocabulary” was the most recurrent difficulty that students had in their bilingual courses. Moreover, we found that participants overused “online translator” as BST. Furthermore, the results show that participants had positive perceptions towards the use of English in educational and professional settings. Implications for bilingual education policy and practice are discussed.

Early Multilingualism and Bi/Multilingual Education in Tanzanian Primary Schools: Teachers’ Perceptions

The article investigates early multilingualism in Tanzanian primary schools, focusing on teachers’ perceptions of bilingual/multilingual education. It highlights Tanzania’s rich linguistic diversity, with over 156 languages, and the bilingual education policy using Swahili and English. The study examines language teaching methods, the development of multilingualism with English, and the effectiveness of these methods in fostering language proficiency in young pupils. The research was conducted in three primary schools in the Kagera region and involved structured interviews with 24 language teachers. The findings contribute to understanding multilingual education in Tanzania, presenting implications for teaching strategies and policy development to enhance multilingual proficiency in the educational system.

Challenges faced by English education in ethical minority areas under the background of Bilingual Education Policy for ethical minority students: Taking Yunnan Province as an example

With the promulgation of the national bilingual education policy, the vast majority of ethnic minorities have learned to master both Mandarin Chinese and ethnic minority languages, providing them with more opportunities for their development, but it does not emphasize their foreign language skills to go out into the world. Therefore, the research theme of this paper is the challenges of English language education in ethnic minority areas in the context of bilingual education, taking Yunnan Province as an example. The study finds that there are three main challenges facing English language education for ethnic minorities. They are language teaching issues in ethical minority areas, English teacher issues in ethical minority areas, and people’s attitudes toward English learning in ethical minority areas. Firstly, there are a lot of problems with English teachers, such as the impact of minority languages on Han English teachers is big, insufficient teacher resources, low professional quality, and high turnover. Then, the students learn English with language transfer and are not interested in it. Finally, schools, teachers, parents, and students do not value English education enough.

Examining Chinese Minority Education Policies

China is renowned for its rich cultural tapestry, diverse ethnic groups, and complex history. While Han Chinese make up the majority of the population, China is also home to a mosaic of 55 ethnic minorities, each with its unique customs, languages, and traditions. While they may share some similarities, each minority ethnic group has their own unique culture and language that differs from other groups and sometimes their differences have caused conflict between each other. Therefore, when writing and implementing policy for minority education, it is important to be adaptable and flexible to local conditions. The Chinese government has increasingly emphasized minority education as an important factor for social unity. In late 20th century, Premier Zhou Enlai decided to create written language for minority groups such as the Hani and Bai, while in 2020, Chairman Xi decided to shift promotion to protection by creating an online archive for minority languages and cultures such as folklore and the creation myth. This paper critically examines the effectiveness of China's bilingual education policy, teacher training initiatives, and the mechanisms of two exemptions and one subsidy for minority education in compulsory education schools in Yunnan. The study underscores the laudable intentions behind these policies while shedding light on the numerous challenges encountered during their implementation.

RESEARCH ON BILINGUAL EDUCATION IN TAIWAN’S HIGH SCHOOLS

This study aims to explore the current status of bilingual education implementation in high schools in Taiwan. This study formulated interview topics based on different aspects of bilingual education and interviewed six relevant personnel through the literature analysis and qualitative in high schools. It included principals, teachers and students in order to understand the impact of bilingualism on the influencing factors and implementation difficulties. The conclusions drawn are as follows: First. Bilingual education policies and supporting measures will affect the progress and implementation effectiveness of bilingual education. second. It is helpful for schools to set clear bilingual education goals. third. There are differences in the effectiveness of bilingual education for students in general high schools and technical high schools. Fourth. The preparation of bilingual teachers and the community are the key to the success of bilingual education. fifth. Creating an immersive learning environment can improve the effectiveness of bilingual teaching. sixth. The urban-rural gap and insufficient resources are major obstacles to promote bilingual education. seventh. If teacher spend too much time on teaching English, it will affect students ‘acquisition of professional subject knowledge. eighth. Bilingual teaching causes burden on teachers and affects their willingness to promote it.

제주 거주 몽골 이주 배경 부모의 이중언어교육 경험 연구

This study sought to examine the problem that Korea's bilingual education policy is limited to international marriage families. We investigated how international marriage families, as well as parents of foreign workers and international students, provide bilingual education to their children, what difficulties they face, and what meaning they give to bilingual education. For this purpose, interviews were conducted with parents of four families with Mongolian immigrant background living in Jeju, and a total of four themes and nine subthemes were derived. We confirmed the diversity of bilingual education environments, the contrast in attitudes toward bilingual education, the limitations of bilingual learning resources, and the conflicting meanings of bilingual education. Through this, we confirmed that children with a Mongolian immigrant background can successfully complete bilingual education in Jeju. In addition to parent education, the community and government should further expand bilingual education opportunities from the perspective of multiculturalism, and residents and immigrants should cultivate an attitude of equal exchange and communication from the perspective of interculturalism.

Domain dichotomy and sociolinguistic inequality in Philippine museum spaces

Abstract The prevailing notion on the scholastic domains of English and Filipino is that the former is used for science, whereas the latter is reserved for the social sciences. Despite its questionable veracity, this domain dichotomy has nevertheless been adopted in Philippine education, particularly in the 1974 Bilingual Education Policy (Sibayan, 1978; Gonzalez, 1990). Using Scollon and Scollon’s (2003) concept of emplacement and Kress and van Leeuwen’s (1996) information value as theoretical points of departure and Tupas’ (2008, 2015a) ‘Unequal Englishes’ paradigm as an analytical framework, this paper investigates whether this dichotomy has permeated into the Linguistic Landscapes of two national museums in Manila. It finds that there is a strong tendency for the natural history museum to privilege English in bilingual signs and the anthropological museum to privilege Filipino, thereby suggesting that this split has already been reified in language practices outside the realm of education policy making and politics.

Reclassification and Multilingual Learners' Science Achievement

AbstractThis study contributes to a growing body of scholarship at the intersection of bilingual education and education policy and examines reclassification, or the transition out of formal English language services in schools, as one potential lever in accelerating or decelerating multilingual learners’ science learning. More specifically, it traces multilingual learners’ science academic achievement vis‐à‐vis science test scores over a six‐year period using the nationally‐representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study of 2010–11 (ECLS‐K:2011) data set. We use regression analyses with panel data to explore the relationship of reclassification with MLs’ science achievement at a national scale, and then, how variation in contextual factors (including family, school, and individual characteristics) shapes this relationship. Results show that, after controlling for covariates and prior test scores, reclassification is not significantly associated with differential science test scores when compared to students that retain their EL status. Results further show that reclassification is associated with higher science achievement for MLs who were previously in a dual‐language program but lower scores for those with higher prior achievement. We conclude with implications for the reclassification process, as well as directions for future research on reclassification, multilingual learners, and academic achievement.

A Study on The Factors Behind Bilingual Policy Promotion Within Higher Education in Taiwan

This paper aims to examine the ongoing bilingual policy promoted in higher education in Taiwan by exploring the important factors that might affect the promotion of the policy. After using literature review method to explore key factors affecting bilingual policy implementation in higher education, a group of 15 distinguished experts in the fields of language education, EMI promotion centers and in bilingual education policy implementation were assembled to form an expert panel. Leveraging the collective expertise and diverse perspectives of the panelists, the study conducted a questionnaire survey to collect the data. The results show five main categories of factors related to the implement of Bilingual Policy, namely “administrative support”, “school environment and resources”, “curriculum and instruction”, “student learning” and “local linkage”. Among the five categories, “administrative support” has the highest expert consensus of importance in terms of promoting Bilingual Policy, followed by “student learning”, “curriculum and instruction”, “school environment and resources” and “local linkage”. Experts’ comments and suggestions are also discussed.

Can State Offices Reclaim Kichwa? Intercultural Bilingual Education Politics and Policy in Ecuador Over Decades

Abstract What opportunities and challenges occur in reclaiming Indigenous languages within state institutions? This article considers the case of intercultural bilingual education in Ecuador. The school system is remarkable as a national-level initiative run by and for Indigenous pueblos and nationalities. Based primarily on two years of ethnographic research in the national directorate offices of the school system and in schools, I describe three challenges that have arisen for directors that are linked to national state offices and expectations. Ultimately, Kichwa is more prominent than ever even as national planning and support changes Kichwa. The case shows contradictions of institutions in language revitalization efforts.

English learning and use in Hong Kong's bilingual education: Implications for L2 learners’ development of interactional competence

AbstractThe use of English in international communication has focused scholarly attention on L2 learners’ development of interactional competence (IC), that is, the ability to co‐construct interactions purposefully and meaningfully in specific contexts. Under Hong Kong's bilingual education policy, students mainly learn and speak English in two classroom contexts: (1) English language and (2) English‐medium‐instruction (EMI) content‐area subject lessons, which may contribute to their IC development. This study compared the English‐speaking/learning experiences of students in these two classroom settings in three Hong Kong secondary schools. Task‐based language teaching (TBLT) was the recommended teaching approach in the English language subject in all these schools, but they adopted different medium‐of‐instruction arrangements in content‐area subjects. Their students also had different academic attainments. The investigation adopted a case study approach consisting of a questionnaire and semi‐structured focus group interviews (N = 160). Our findings suggest that students generally lacked opportunities to speak English, regardless of the specific school‐based policies. The higher‐proficiency students were given more opportunities to speak English in group/pair activities both in English language and EMI content‐area subjects. In contrast, the lower‐proficiency students received more explicit teaching of the linguistic forms/structures required in English examinations. The paper concludes by highlighting several critical issues concerning students’ IC development in bilingual education, namely, the effects of English‐medium education on students’ speaking ability, implementation of TBLT, the influence of examinations on teaching practices, and teachers’ role in promoting students’ interactional competence through classroom interactions.

Bilingualism and Multilingualism in International Teaching

The process of world economic integration is dramatically changing the spread and use of human languages, and at the same time has a profound impact on human linguistic diversity. In the last half century or so, bilingual and multilingual education has become an important part of the education system of some countries, and bilingual and multilingual education policies have become a hot topic of concern for all walks of life. In this paper, we take the background of international bilingual and multilingual education as a premise, further explore the laws of bilingual and multilingual education, and sort out and summarize the academic discussions on this topic.

Aiming high in heritage language education: the case of de jure policy for complementary Polish State Schools abroad

ABSTRACT Informed by the conceptual-analytical framework of LPP and bilingual education policy, this study addresses a unique and under-researched case of heritage language education policy for complementary Polish State Schools abroad. These are Polish governmental educational offering aimed at Polish migrants and their descendants. Data consist of two policy documents issued by Polish parliamentary and governmental authorities and are analyzed through qualitative content analysis. The specific research question is: What ideological and implementational spaces can be identified in the policy documents regarding the following six areas: academic goal; language ideology; linguistic goal; language orientation; bilingualism orientation; cultural orientation? The findings show that the policy opens up implementational and ideological spaces not only for language maintenance but also for various epistemic goals and literacy forms that create opportunities for a multifaceted personal and societal development of the students. Polish language and culture are positioned both as right and as resource, and spaces for cultural pluralism and plurilingualism emerge. Even if bilingualism and biliteracy are not explicitly expressed as goals, the policy recognizes the multiple linguistic realities of the students by assuming bilingualism, the orientation that is here called bilingualism as default. Future research directions are suggested in the conclusion.

A Comparative Study of Multi-ethnic Bilingual Education Policies in China and the UK

Multi-ethnic bilingual education policies are crucial for multi-ethnic nations in safeguarding ethnic minorities’ rights, maintaining stability and improving national cohesion. Both China and the UK are multi-ethnic countries that developed bilingual education policies. This study uses documentary, comparative and historical research methods to review the multi-ethnic bilingual education policies of the two countries and to compare their similarities and differences. The study finds that the two countries have similarities in terms of policy objectives, development processes and linguistic perspectives. However, due to the national and ethnic backgrounds and cultural differences between the two countries, there are differences in terms of legalisation and mainstream language functions. The study recommends that China should provide higher-quality bilingual education resources in ethnic minority areas. In addition, a variety of bilingual education teaching models should be provided to further help build ethnic confidence in ethnic minority areas. Finally, the Chinese government could regularly monitor the status of minority languages to protect endangered languages and valuable ethnic heritage promptly.

From Diversity to Homogeneity

Abstract This article explores the shifting connotations of two key terms in propaganda texts on bilingual education policy in Inner Mongolia. The two terms are dumdadu-yin ündüsten (Ch.: Zhonghua minzu, Chinese nation) and ulus-un neidem hereglehü üge hel (Ch.: guojia tongyong yuyan, national common language). I examine how the meanings of these key terms have begun to shift as China strives to shed its multinational character and build a linguistically homogenous Chinese nation-state. The new prominence given to the term dumdadu-yin ündüsten (Chinese nation) and the gradual substitution of the terms neitelig hel (Ch.: putonghua) and khitad hel (Han language) with the term ulus-un neidem hereglehü üge hel (national common language) in propaganda texts in Inner Mongolia reflect and shape China’s changing policies on its borderlands. In this brief exploratory article, I underline how the Mongolian terms referring to the Chinese nation and national common language undergo shifts in their meanings as what sits at the very core of these terms – the Han – irrepressibly exposes itself and subsumes other meaning potentials.

The role of English and the sociocultural structure of Bahasa: a study of Brunei Darussalam

This paper looks at the role of English in Brunei and the sociocultural structure of Bahasa/language in Brunei Darussalam. The aim of this research is to critically analyse sociocultural theory from Vygotsky’s “peak psychology” approach and understand depth-knowledge of sociocultural theory from other scholars’ perspectives. The scholars’ views on education, language and sociocultural importance-related topics have been analysed by Barry, Goode, Jones, Haji-Othman, Sharbawi and Gardiner. These scholars’ ideas give a better understanding of the sociocultural importance of Bruneian’s individual development. For this research, a qualitative method applies and collected data is critically analysed in detail. This research has the potential to discuss the link between language evolution and Bruneian sociocultural development. The “Citizenship Acts 1961” is relevant to discuss the theoretical concepts like, ‘nationality’ and ‘ethnic identification’ from the Bruneian context. To put it in a nutshell, the ratification of “Melayu Islam Beraja” or “Malay Islamic Monarchy” and the impact of linguistic diversity in Brunei consist of a Bruneian identity. In bilingual education policy, Bahasa Melayu and English have a major role in the child development. Although a balance of regional languages and English is essential to maintain the “Bruneian” identity. Brunei is a small country but it is diverse, multilingual and multicultural.