Ch.18+by+Colin+Bake

**BILINGUAL EDUCATION**
by Colin Baker

The author assumes that bilingual education comprises not only “dual language policy and classroom practice in schools”, but it is also part of apparent and hidden “national or regional language planning”. Different perspectives are involved in bilingual education and each of these perspectives are of equal value. According to Baker public, sociolinguistic, psychological, historical and national perspectives are an inseparable part of bilingual education.

Bilingual Education as Language Planning

According to the author in this first perspective, which is the viewpoint of language planners, bilingual education is rooted within a framework for language recovery. The author goes on to state that different strategies, such as language rights, mass media and signposts, equally contribute to the “status and institutionalization of a language”. Baker assumes that there exist four major priorities that are directly related to the “survival and strengthening of a minority language”. These priorities are the following: In order to keep and increase the contribution of the minority languages, greater attention should be paid to “language acquisition in preschool education, in elementary and high schools, at higher education levels and in adult language learning classes” (Baker, 2006 ). The author also assumes that if the economic value to a minority language is high, accordingly, the children’s instrumental motivation in language schools becomes high. “Languages live when they are continually and consistently used in daily life” (Baker, 2006). Thus all positive aspects of cultural, leisure and community life need to be involved in language. According to the author bilingual education plays a vital role in language reproduction and without bilingual education a minority language cannot survive.
 * Language reproduction in the family
 * Language production from preschool education through formal schooling to adult education
 * Using the minority language for economic purpose
 * Social, cultural and leisure participation through the minority language


 * Bilingual Education as Pedagogy **

Over the past decades there has been a considerable debate over the importance of bilingual education in schools. Bilingual education, though still meets a great amount of criticism, is obviously superior over the monolingual education. Educationist view the importance of this type of education not only in terms of teaching children more than one language, but also as a means of integrating into larger communities and having bigger chances in life. Bilingual education has a number of advantages. First, it allows the two languages to develop fully and equally. The learner can take part in wider ranges of communication and, consequently, feel more confident. Second, bilingual education brings more intercultural competence and as a result, there is more sympathy towards other cultures, traditions and less inclination to racism. Bilingual education gives learners more chances for employment, as well as it makes learners more proficient in foreign language literature and history. School bilingual education, however, has limitations. It is often too formal and redundant to be used outside school itself. Speakers often feel not very confident when using the language learned at school in street vernacular.


 * Bilingual Education as Politics**

Bilingual education is not simply an educational issue but a political one. By means of bilingual education certain political ideology is followed. Political intentions and changes always underlie bilingual education. If bilingual education exists, politics is nearby. Proposition 227 in California is a bright example of political power in the decision-making about bilingual education. Since there was a huge wave of Spanish-speaker immigrants, as well as those of other languages such as Armenian, Hindi, Korean, Tagalog, Ukrainian, Vietnamese students into the US from 1978 to 2000, the matter of bilingualism became a fundamental issue to deal with. In early 1996 a group of Spanish-speaking parents were pulling their children out of elementary school because of the language matter. Relying on these personal experience of a small number of parents one of the politicians (who failed to win the Republican nomination in this period tried to use this opportunity as his opportunity) denounced bilingual education and ethnic separatism. His arguments were based on not the unification of American identity but on the ineffectiveness of bilingual schools in California. And so the proposition 227 began circulating, according to which all children "shall be taught English by being taught in English". Surveys showed that Latinos were apparently against this proposition, nevertheless, bilingual education had become virtually illegal. While politicians try to put forward their views based on mainly personal one-sided reporting, researchers try to persuade by supporting strong educational data. Cummins (1999, 2000b) states that it is the theory rather than the individual research findings that allow forecasts for outcomes in different conditions. Later on, in 1998 the US secretary of education Richard W. Riley declared his non-support towards the proposition 227, contending that this one-size-fits-all approach was not supported by years of research (Riley 1998). Instead, he asserted "the economic, cultural, and political importance of being bilingual in global culture." The outlawing of bilingual education in California has three lessons of international relevance:
 * Public image of bilingual education needs to be based on facts and evidence, rather than fiction and prejudice.
 * Supporters of bilingual education should not stop arguing for bilingual education, rather should conduct marketing campaigns to be accessible for public and particularly politicians.
 * Bilingual education should provide evidence across the board for high standards, high achievements and those outcomes of schooling that are regarded as important by public and politicians.