Learning English Bilingualism

From your reading and other sources, can you define these terms? Bilingualism Simultaneous bilingualism Sequential bilingualism Active bilingualism Subtractive bilingualism Multilingualism Monolingualism

Key terms Bilingualism – control over two languages Simultaneous bilingualism – acquiring two languages at the same time Sequential bilingualism – learning one language after the first has been acquired Subtractive bilingualism – when neither language is fully learnt (does this exist?) Multilingualism – control over more than two languages Monolingualism – control over one language

Discussion 1. What advantages/disadvantages do bilinguals have in British society? 2. What advantages/disadvantages do bilinguals have in global terms? 3. What factors influence bilinguals’ choices of which language to use?

How do people become bilingual? 1. Home 2. Schooling 3. Further/higher education 4. Move to a different country 5. Partner speaks a different language 6. Work requirements.

Bringing up children bilingually Read the following problems/scenarios and with your group decide on the best answer/response.

Learning a new language in school ‘Models’ of bilingual education: 1. Total immersion (e.g. Canada) 2. Language separation (monolingual spaces) 3. Concurrent language (code switching) 4. Language support in L1 classes.

A bilingual education programme in Texas Before you read: What percentage of people in Texas use Spanish as their first language, do you think? If your child or sibling went to school in Texas, what language would you like him/her to be schooled in? Do you think it would be acceptable for children to receive their education only in Spanish in Texas?

Reading questions 1. What model of bilingual education has Texa traditionally used? 2. What is the new model of bilingual education? 3. What are the criticisms of the traditional model, according to the article? 4. What are the advantages of the new model, according to the article? 5. What is your opinion on which model should be adopted? Do you know which model is current in UK schools?

Current debates/issues in bilingualism ‘Models’ are linked to ‘outcomes’, but whose interests do these outcomes serve? How do education systems cope with the increasing move towards globalisation and the changing ‘ethnoscapes’ (Appadural, 1990, cited in Martin-Jones,2007:176) of cities and countries? How are children best supported in schools and other educational institutions?