EFFECTIVE trilingual EDUCATION: LESSONS for SCHOOL PRINCIPALS FRED GENESEE McGILL UNIVERSITY Montreal, Canada Astana, Kazakhstan Nov. 2016

1965 THE ST LAMBERT EXPERIMENT “ This book tells the story of a community-based Canadian project aimed at developing nativelike skills in a second language by having that language used as the main medium of instruction during the elementary school years.” 1965

THE GOALS OF CONTENT-BASED INSTRUCTION (CLIL) second language general learning Skills

RATIONALE for CONTENT-BASED LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION To ensure acquisition of authentic, useful language. To motivate language learning by integrating second language learning with learning school subjects. To provide a cognitive and social basis for second language learning – to connect second language learning with students’ lives in and outside school. To align second language acquisition with cognitive and social development and, in this way, to exploit students’ natural language learning ability. To reflect current theories of second language learning.

50 YEARS LATER: 2016 Context Matters Strong leadership is critical POLICY MAKERS HEADS of SCHOOLS HEADS of DEPARTMENTS EDUCATIONAL SPECIALISTS Context Matters Strong leadership is critical All languages should have equally high status All children can become bi/multi-lingual Pedagogy and teachers matter L1 is a useful tool for L2 learning Evaluation is critical for program success

(1) SCHOOL PRINCIPALS ARE CONFIDENT of THE BENEFITS of TRILINGUAL EDUCATION CONFIDENT EDUCATIONAL LEADERS: are liaisons between school and community and parents provide vision for the whole school are responsible for planning, especially professional development make informed decisions that ensure success

(2) SCHOOL PRINCIPALS ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE THEY KNOW THAT RESEARCH SAYS THAT: ongoing professional development is important all languages should have equally high status – additive trilingualism all children can become bi/multilingual pedagogy matters the home language is a useful tool for l2 learning evaluation is critical for program success the benefits of trilingual education take time to appear

(3) SCHOOL PRINCIPALS TAKE A LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE Research shows that it takes time for students to become functionally proficient in additional languages It takes time for teachers to become competent in the new skills and methods they need to be effective It takes time to assess the create effective programs because change takes time Educators develop long term plans to ensure success in language and academic domains

(4) SCHOOL PRINCIPALS ARE REFLECTIVE, ANALYTIC and READY TO CHANGE Research shows that effective school administrators: are aware of research findings on effective trilingual programs and use those findings to shape and modify their program use student achievement data to monitor and shape the school’s program ensure that school assessments are aligned with program goals consult with teachers to identify the resources teaches need to be effective, including their professional development needs

EFFECTIVE TRILINGUAL SCHOOLS DEPEND ON EFFECTIVE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS

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