User:Jiletka/Bilingual Education/Bibliography

Bilingual education is viewed by educators as the "pathway to bilingualism", which is the goal of understanding a second, or foreign, language which allows learners to develop proficiency and literacy in both their mother-tongue and second-language. The competency in two languages is believed to broaden students’ opportunities to communicate with people from other communities (Baker & Wright, 2017, p. 343).

Another advantage of bilingual education is “promoting equal education” (Kong & Yu, 2019, p.190) and becoming “the cure and not the cause of underachievement” (Baker & Wright, 2017, p. 279), as it gives students an opportunity to showcase their knowledge and skills in their first language. When students’ first language is valued and used as a resource for learning, it has a positive effect on learners’ self-esteem (Baker & Wright, 2017, p. 343) and “identity affirmation” (Cummins et al., 2011, p.38)

Bilingualism provides a multidimensional view of language learning that contains five categories; individual, societal, family, school, and disciplinary.

Not only does bilingualism bilingual education introduce new linguistics and maintain home languages, but it gives a perspective on also promotes cultural and linguistic diversity.

This allows positive intercultural communication, which can lead to an increase in globalization “developing a broader enculturation” (Baker & Wright, 2017, p. 343) and harmony among the universe and a better understanding of cultural and linguistic differences. As Baker and Wright (2017) point out, children in dual language bilingual schools “are likely to be more tolerant, respectful, sensitive and equalized in status. Genuine cross-cultural friendships may develop, and issues of stereotyping and discrimination may be diminished” (p. 311). The official language policy of International Baccalaureate Organization (2014) also emphasizes the importance of “cultivation of intercultural awareness, international-mindedness, and global citizenship” (p. 3) in international schools where students speak more than two languages.

Other benefits of bilingual education are considered to be improved cognitive abilities (Woumans et al., 2016, p.76) and economic advantages (Baker & Wright, 2017, p. 585) such as increased job and education opportunities around the world.