At a time when bilingual education is being valued, the correlation between Chinese learning experience and English proficiency development is a hot research topic in the field of second language acquisition. This article is based on the theories of language transfer, cognitive development, and intercultural communication, and systematically explores the promoting effect of Chinese learning on the development of English proficiency from five dimensions. Research has found that the phonological perception, vocabulary construction thinking, and grammatical logic awareness cultivated through Chinese learning are the natural foundation of English learning; The core cognitive abilities formed, such as memory and logical thinking, can be directly transferred to English learning; The cultural accumulation in the Chinese context helps to understand the cultural connotations of English and enhance cross-cultural communication skills; The reuse of methods and strategies for learning Chinese can improve the effectiveness of English learning. Multiple educational practices and studies have shown that those with a solid foundation in Chinese have an advantage in English listening, speaking, reading, and writing abilities. The conclusion of this article provides theoretical and practical references for optimizing bilingual teaching and improving the quality of English teaching, as well as guidance for learners to enhance their English proficiency through Chinese language foundation.

Aim. This study examines how eight-year-old Jordanian learners mobilize Arabic and English while completing an English fill-in-the-blank writing task, using translanguaging as an interpretive lens. Procedure. Fifty third-grade students at Al-Kende Private School in Irbid completed a paper-based task of ten sentence blanks and were explicitly permitted to answer in English, Arabic, or both. Responses were coded as English, Arabic, or translanguaged (e.g., mixed constructions and Arabic script approximating English) to capture learners’ meaning-making without treating Arabic as error. Results. Descriptive results showed greater reliance on Arabic (M = 6.4, SD = 1.8) than English (M = 3.6, SD = 1.9). A paired-samples t-test confirmed a significant difference, t(49) = 6.12, p < .01, with a large effect (d = 0.87), indicating task-specific dominance of Arabic during lexical recall. Findings suggest young learners strategically use L1 as cognitive and affective scaffolding, supporting more inclusive local bilingual assessment and pedagogy in early EFL classrooms. Conclusions. The findings suggest that translanguaging can function as a productive pedagogical practice rather than a barrier to English learning, especially in contexts where students’ exposure to English is limited. Although limited in scope, this study contributes to discussions in bilingual education by offering evidence from a Jordanian context. It calls for educators to reconsider how language use is framed and assessed in the classroom and to recognize students’ home languages as valuable learning resources. Ultimately, the study affirms that honoring students’ translanguaging practices supports not only language development, but also inclusion, confidence, and respect for linguistic identity. Future research could examine how translanguaging evolves across different task types, age groups, or instructional approaches, and how teachers’ attitudes toward language use shape students’ choices.

This paper analyses the pedagogical and identity-based motivation for code-switching (CS) among Pakistani university students, with a specific focus on gender-based variation. Though it is true that CS has been recognised as a prevalent communicative approach across multiple language (multilingual) contexts, little research has been conducted on how pedagogical needs are derived to be integrated with identity performance in Pakistani tertiary education. It employs a mixed-methods design, with data collected through surveys, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews with 120 undergraduate students. The quantitative findings demonstrate that the primary reasons for CS, according to the pedagogical sources, of making the matter easier to comprehend and filling lexical blanks and conceptual cognition, are the driving forces of CS. Qualitative results also indicate that identity-based motivations play an important role, though in a secondary sense, as students use English to indicate academic competence and prestige, and Urdu to indicate solidarity and cultural belonging. Gender analysis shows that female students rely more on CS as an act of supportive academic support, whereas their male counterparts have more switching behaviour in identity-oriented aspects. The paper finds that CS has woven both the pedagogical and symbolic roles, which are the strategies of learning and its sociocultural positioning. The findings have importance in the area of applied linguistics by further expounding on the multifunctional character of the bilingual practices, and have implications for bilingual pedagogy and the development of an inclusive language policy in Pakistani universities.

Abstract The study aims at exploring a contested ideology toward heritage language maintenance and social integration based on a one-on-one interview to a Chinese mother in Japan. Through the framework of Family Language Policy, semi-structured interview data were analyzed thematically in terms of language ideology, practice, and maintenance. Findings show that a Chinese mother who raises a daughter in Japan struggles to balance bilingual education between Chinese and Japanese to pass down the former language for heritage maintenance and simultaneously teach the latter language for the successful integration to the destination country. I end this article by providing recommendations for migrant language education in Japan.

This study analyzes disparities between Bangladesh’s current Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) model, introduced in 2017, and the comprehensive bilingual framework proposed in 2008. Through comparative policy analysis across ten dimensions—from philosophy to resource allocation—the research finds that the existing model constitutes weak bilingual education, providing limited indigenous language instruction (10–15%), whereas the proposed model envisions co-equal mediums (50%). The findings reveal symbolic rather than substantive inclusion, constraining educational and cultural outcomes. Evidence-based recommendations outline a six-year phased reform pathway, drawing on global best practices to advance equity and linguistic rights for indigenous communities in Bangladesh.

This study examines teacher–student verbal interactions in Taiwan’s Teaching English through English (TETE) vocational high school classrooms under the national Bilingual 2030 initiative. We aimed to characterize teacher questioning and initiation–response–feedback (IRF) interaction patterns, focusing on question types, cognitive demands, and student responses. Fourteen TETE lessons (totaling 684 minutes) taught by vocational teachers in a national bilingual education competition were video-recorded. We manually transcribed the recordings and coded all teacher questions ( n = 430) using Sánchez-García’s taxonomy and Anderson & Krathwohl’s revised Bloom’s taxonomy. IRF sequences were identified, and student responses were coded by language (Chinese vs. English). Descriptive and inferential statistics (correlations, ANOVA via SPSS) were applied. Inter-rater agreement on coding was 90%–92%. Quantitative results revealed that teachers’ questions were mostly procedural (28.4%), display (26.0%), or off-task (13.0%). Referential (content-focused) questions were significantly more common among higher-performing teachers. By cognitive level, 62% of questions targeted recall (Bloom’s lowest level), 28% application, and 10% analysis. Question lexical complexity aligned with basic-user proficiency (CEFR A1–A2). In 197 IRF sequences, students responded more often in Chinese (202 instances) than English (176 instances). Teachers’ question frequency was positively correlated with teaching performance (R = .585, p = .028). ANOVA indicated significant grade-level differences in questioning frequency ( F (2, 11) = 4.619, p = .035), with ninth-grade teachers asking significantly fewer questions. These findings indicate that current TETE classroom discourse is dominated by lower-order, procedural questions and frequent first language (L1) use, posing challenges for English-immersion goals. We discuss implications for Taiwan’s bilingual education policy and practice, including the need for targeted teacher development to promote higher-order questioning and balanced L1/L2 interaction to better support bilingual instruction. These results highlight the need for classroom practices and policies aligned with Taiwan’s bilingual goals.

This study aimed to characterize the teaching profile of mathematics teachers who teach in English at bilingual institutions in the Department of Atlántico, Colombia. A qualitative methodology with a descriptive approach was applied, analyzing the syllabi of subjects related to English in mathematics teacher education programs. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with preservice teachers, graduates of the Mathematics Degree Program at the Universidad del Atlántico, and principals of bilingual institutions, in order to triangulate their perceptions regarding the relevance of English proficiency in the teaching profession and the labor market. Findings indicate that mathematics teachers who teach in English should demonstrate an English proficiency level of B2 or higher, in accordance with international bilingual education standards. It is concluded that Mathematics Degree Programs should promote the integration of English across all courses in the curriculum (didactics, research, and seminars) so that language learning becomes an essential and continuous process throughout the academic trajectory.

<span>Philippine-Chinese schools have been in existence for several decades. This study explores the influence of Chinese culture on Filipino teachers’ pedagogical and content delivery, language and social interaction, and their practices and constructions while teaching in a Chinese school. Through a descriptive–qualitative approach to explore the experiences, 12 non-Chinese teachers were purposively chosen to participate in the study. Guided by the validated interview guide and the qualitative data analysis steps by Braun and Clarke, six themes emerged: bilingual pedagogy, cultural values integration, language immersion, technology in education, thriving through diversity, support and collegiality. The study revealed the enriching interaction between Chinese cultural influences and Filipino teaching practices, suggesting the need for ongoing professional development that enhances cultural competence, innovative pedagogical strategies, and supportive teaching communities</span><span>.</span>

ABSTRACT Whilst existing studies on multimodal pedagogy frequently focus on teaching English, bilingual educators’ professional knowledge and practice in integrating multimodal pedagogy into teaching English or other foreign languages as L2 remain underexplored. This gap is particularly pronounced in research on digital multimodal composing (DMC). Creating multimodal compositions is widely recognized as an approach to enhancing students' metasemiotic awareness. Guided by a social semiotic perspective on language teaching and learning and the New London Group’s pedagogy of multiliteracies, this study examines how a team of six Taiwanese bilingual educators engaged in professional development on using ArcGIS StoryMaps to teach foreign languages to 36 university students. In this study, we adopted a design-based approach to develop a professional development program to equip participating bilingual educators with ArcGIS StoryMaps to teach foreign languages. Drawing on qualitative data such as students’ digital compositions, teacher and student reflections, and interviews, we discuss the bilingual educators’ professional development when shifting their use of ArcGIS StoryMaps from a direct replacement of PowerPoint to a more advanced use that facilitates transformed practice. We also discuss the complexities of implementing the pedagogy of multiliteracies in the bilingual context of teaching foreign languages in higher education.

This article seeks to understand teachers' perceptions about the training they receive, the government resources they access, and the strategies for professional development in bilingual teaching practices. The research, of a qualitative nature, involved the participation of ten teachers who work at a Bilingual School for the Deaf that offers high school education, located in Paraná. A sociodemographic questionnaire and a semi-structured interview were used to collect data. The results of the research indicate that despite individual efforts and local initiatives, bilingual schools for the deaf remain in a scenario of structural shortage, highlighting the urgency of concrete actions by the government. It is concluded that there is a need for institutional and government investments to guarantee inclusive bilingual education, respecting the linguistic and cultural identity of deaf students and promoting their full cognitive, social, and cultural development. In addition, effective public policies to consolidate accessible and equitable educational practices.

This empirical study attempts to examine the perspective of the students of commerce who study at intermediate and graduate levels at college in Hyderabad. The significance of learning in English as a foreign language has been the matter of one of the greatest concerns for the policy makers in the province of Sindh Pakistan. The policies formulated once are rarely revisited for the implementation of productive medium of instructions regardless of the concerns of the students and teachers as key players. In this study attempt, the researcher examines the perspective of different students who received education in English as medium of instructions (EMI) and Urdu as medium of instructions (UMI) separately. The data through semi structured interviews with open ended questions from the selected 13 students revealed the challenges and benefits of learning the subject based knowledge in two different languages as Urdu and English. Many similarities in their opinions were identified. For them, the disciplinary knowledge of English as medium instruction was noticeably less than Urdu as medium of instructions. The study results found that the education in mother tongue at college level is more comprehensive to enhance the performance of students in commerce. A constructive approach to bilingual education must be taken into considerations to redress the challenges for students in commerce at colleges related to the policies of medium of instruction in the education system of Sindh. Moreover, the data based result also displays that the pedagogical success could only be obtainable through the mother tongue in education. This clearly provides the evidence for the native languages as a medium of instructions in colleges.

This study investigated how word characteristics (frequency, cognate status, acquisition source, translation equivalence) influence vocabulary development in Spanish-English bilingual children. We examined (a) how second language (L2) exposure relates to lexical development in first language and L2 over time and (b) which lexical characteristics influence lexical development across languages. We examined item-level vocabulary responses of Spanish-English bilingual children (n = 225, ages 5-12 years) tested on the same set of expressive vocabulary items in both languages across four annual time points. Using binomial generalized mixed-effects models, we analyzed how acquisition varied by word characteristic (frequency, cognate status, acquisition context, translation equivalence) while controlling for age and language exposure. Key findings included that (a) high-frequency words showed greater odds of acquisition in both languages, (b) cognates demonstrated facilitative effects primarily in English, (c) home-acquired words were more readily learned than school-acquired words in both languages, and (d) knowledge of translations boosted acquisition in the other language. The findings support usage-based theories of language acquisition and demonstrate the integrated nature of bilingual lexical development. These results have important implications for bilingual education, suggesting that supporting first language development facilitates rather than hinders second language acquisition. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.30660983.

Although Ghana’s language-in-education policy mandates the exclusive use of Ghanaian languages up to Basic 3 and English-only instruction from Basic 4 upward, classroom realities in rural junior high schools reveal a striking mismatch between policy prescriptions and pedagogical practice. Despite the formal monolingual orientation of the policy, many teachers continue to draw on learners’ L1 as a practical resource for explaining grammatical concepts and enhancing comprehension. Guided by Schmidt’s Noticing Hypothesis, this study explored how bilingual pedagogy influences learner engagement in grammar instruction and the implications for language policy implementation in rural Ghanaian junior high schools. The study employed qualitative case study design, involving twelve purposively selected English teachers from rural schools in the Oti and Volta Regions. Data was gathered through interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis, and analyzed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s framework. Findings showed that teachers employed translanguaging, code-switching, and comparative grammar explanations to foster comprehension and participation, yet these practices remain unofficial and unstable due to policy ambiguity, institutional pressure for English-only instruction, and insufficient preparation in bilingual pedagogies. The study concludes that bilingual pedagogy enhances learner engagement by promoting conscious linguistic noticing but remains hindered by unclear policy direction and lack of teacher training. It recommends operationalizing Ghana’s policy to legitimize and support bilingual classroom practices.

The Hungarian–Chinese Bilingual Primary and Secondary School is the only educational institution in Central and Eastern Europe where education is carried out in Chinese and the language of the host country—in this case, Hungarian—across twelve grade levels. Among the subjects that can be taught in the target language at bilingual schools in Hungary is the Target Language Civilisation course, which aims to provide students with knowledge about the target country and its culture in the target language. The purpose of this case study is first to review the local curriculum of the Chinese Target Language Civilisation subject at the school, then to reflect on the teaching practices through the lens of the CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) educational approach, based on Coyle’s (1999) 4C’s model, and finally to propose recommendations for the revision of the local curriculum.

Phonetic input is considered one of the main factors determining the perception and production of sounds in second language (L2) sound acquisition. The learner’s accurate perception and intelligible oral production are claimed to depend on the quality and quantity of the received input. This study presents a mediation program that enriches phonetic input in an early bilingual education context by working with L2 acoustic cues through games. The program was applied to twelve 3- to 4-year-old children in a Brazilian school to observe its effects on the participants’ perception of L2 sounds throughout a school year. Perception values were collected with a pre-test at the beginning of the year and a post-test after the program at the end of the year. The collected data showed the participants’ difficulty in perceiving the distinction between voiced and unvoiced English plosives and the /ɛ-æ, i-ɪ, u-ʊ/ vowel contrasts. The results also indicated that the program positively impacted children’s L2 perception. Moreover, the participants’ engagement with the mediation program demonstrated how L2 sound perception through acoustic cues can be developed in bilingual schools from a very young age.

The impact of bilingual education (Spanish English) on the oral and written language of students is currently the subject of a significant debate. The aim of this study is to investigate these repercussions and the influence of some of its conditioning factors. 296 students, 31 families, and 39 teachers from three public schools located in the Comunidad de Madrid that taught one (C1), four(C4), and six (C6) subjects in English participated. The verbal fluency was evaluated with a test of the McCarthy Scales of Aptitudes and Psychomotor Skills, reading comprehension, with the Reading Processes Assessment Battery, and writing with the Length of t-Units (LMU-t) (among other variables). The data showed the improvement that occurred in English course by course in verbal fluency, sentence comprehension and LMT-u up to fifth grade, as well as in Spanish (at least in two courses) in all the variables analysed except in the LMT-u. The scores of the second and third year of C6 were higher than those of C1 in verbal fluency in Spanish, and, in English, in vocabulary and sentence comprehension. There were no statistical differences in fourth between C4 and C6, although the higher LMU-t of the latter almost reached that significance (p=.50). Nor were any differences between students aspiring to be bilingual and trilingual, except of verbal fluency and LMU-t in English. The results indicate that the level of competence achieved in languages does not depend solely on how much they are used and point to students’ cultural habits and teaching methodology as relevant variables.

The 1974 Supreme Court decision Lau v. Nichols established a legal and moral foundation for linguistic equity in American public education. However, the legacy of Lau is still up for debate fifty years later. Through the entwined histories of bilingual education, federal enforcement, and ideological shift, this paper re-examines the ruling. It charts the evolution of dual-language immersion models from transitional bilingual programs, showing how local politics and federal policy have alternately increased and limited linguistic rights. The paper makes the case that Lau’s original vision has been altered by cycles of progress and backlash, reflecting larger conflicts between assimilation and pluralism, rights and resources, equity and gentrification. It does this by drawing on theories of language ideology and raciolinguistics. This analysis shows that language justice in the US depends on institutional and civic commitment as well as legal precedent by placing Lau within the political economy of education reform.

ABSTRACT Drawing from the theoretical lenses of language ideologies (Woolard 1998) and dynamic bilingualism (García 2009), this qualitative case study analyzed the ways that bilingual preservice teachers (PSTs) in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands have come to understand bilingualism and what is necessary to become a successful bilingual teacher in this context. PSTs in an introductory bilingual education (BED) course and in their final semester of teacher residency at a borderland Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) participated in this study. Participants described the ways that standardized testing has defined success for them as bilinguals, both during their K-12 years and again during their teacher education program through bilingual teacher certification exams. Dominant ideologies defining participants’ languages in a monoglossic manner caused the construct of success to emerge as a language ideology. The study’s findings hold important implications for the future of borderland bilingual education and teacher certification exams, particularly as bilingual teachers are in high demand but challenges such as those faced by this study’s participants may push them out of the teacher pipeline.

ABSTRACT This Special Issue examines bilingual educators’ professional development (PD) in multimodal literacy, a crucial yet underexplored dimension of bilingual and multilingual education. Multimodality, the dynamic interplay of language, image, gesture, and sound among other semiotic resources, has become central to meaning-making in contemporary, technology-rich classrooms. As educational communication increasingly spans multiple modes, teachers must develop multimodal literacy to design, facilitate, and assess engaging and inclusive learning experiences. While research has expanded on students’ multiliteracies, less attention has been given to how teachers cultivate these competences through professional learning. This Special Issue includes six empirical studies and a final commentary that collectively address this gap. The contributions approach central issues regarding bilingual teachers’ needs and perceptions regarding their multimodal literacy, the integration of multimodal literacy instruction in bilingual teacher education programmes, how bilingual educators engage in professional learning experiences related to multiliteracies and empirical evidence of the impact of PD programmes on teachers’ changes, specifically focused on multimodal literacy. The concluding commentary synthesises these insights and proposes future directions for advancing multimodal literacy in teacher education and professional practice.

This article investigates the management of the inclusion of people with disabilities in indigenous schools in Maranhão, highlighting innovative practices, pedagogical methodologies, and challenges faced within the context of intercultural special education. The analysis employs a qualitative approach with multiple case studies, involving documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews with school administrators, teachers, and indigenous leaders, as well as participant observation in selected schools. The study explores aspects related to the articulation between public inclusion policies and indigenous school management, identifying local barriers, advances, and solutions. It emphasizes the importance of interculturality and bilingual education, as well as the potential of digital technologies to expand accessibility and participation of students with disabilities in indigenous school settings. The research reveals the scarcity of specialized training for educators, limitations in infrastructure, and persistent challenges in creating educational environments that respect cultural diversity and the inclusive needs of indigenous peoples. Through the use of tables, charts, and frameworks, the study compiles data on ethnic groups, villages, languages, cultural values, and inclusion experiences, proposing innovative guidelines for school management and public policies in the region. The article contributes to the scientific discussion on inclusive indigenous education, highlighting the essential role of qualified and contextualized school management and suggesting pathways for advancing inclusion in indigenous territories in Maranhão.