BILINGUAL EDUCATION A program designed to provide instruction in both a student's native language and in a second language. Bilingual education is based upon language acquisition research and the understanding that strong development of ones native tongue is the best foundation for development of a second language. Bilingual programs emphasize "comprehensible input" in instruction by ensuring that students receive content area instruction in a language they can understand.

Rationale for bilingual education in the US can be stated as follows: Lack of English proficiency is the major reason for language minority students’ academic failure. Bilingual education is intended to ensure that students do not fall behind in subject matter content while they are learning English, as they would likely do in an all-English program. However, when students have become proficient in English, then they can be exited to an all-English program, since limited English proficiency will no longer impede their academic progress. United States Commission on Civil Rights, 1975

ESL (TPR) P.E. Music, art, crafts. Face-to-face conversation. Social talk with peers. Phone conversation, Written notes, captions Movies, videos (understanding the narration) Science, math, social studies lessons with visuals, activities, controlled vocabulary. Most academic tasks (reading, writing) Test-taking Lecture…. Context Embedded Extralinguistic clues for meaning Context Reduced NO extralinguistic clues for meaning Cognitively UNDEMANDING (EASY) Cognitively DEMANDING (DIFFICULT ) BICS: Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (social language) CALP: Cognitive/Academic Language Proficiency (thinking language) Cummins BICS and CALP model of language events in the classroom 2 to 5 years 5 to 8 years

Range of contextual support and degree of cognitive involvement in communicative activities A B CD Cognitively undemanding Cognitively demanding Context embedded Context reduced

Academic language The language needed by students to do the work in schools: 1. Discipline-specific vocabulary 2. Grammar and punctuation 3. Applications of rhetorical conventions and devices that are typical for a content area: Essays, lab reports, discussions of a controversial issue…..

How do you teach academic language/thinking? Communicate content through means other than language: physical models, visuals, demonstrations….

In a social studies lesson you can: scaffold the process of constructing an argument based on historical evidence, demonstrate how to communicate a thesis in an essay, practice how to debate a political point of view. ………………………………………………………………

In a math lesson you can: help students understand the conventions expected for showing their problem-solving work, demonstrate how to explain alternative solutions to a problem, demonstrate how to interpret mathematical symbols. ……………………………………………………………….

In a language arts lesson you can: help your students brainstorm different types of responses to a peer’s essay. …………………………………………………………………

Self-Assessment: Academic Language. Examine your lesson plan and answer the following questions. 1. How did your plan help students develop their academic language abilities? 2. How did your assessments help you distinguish between students’ academic language development and their content understandings? 3. How were your learning and assessments tasks appropriate for the variety of language development needs of your students?