User talk:LimasPfili

=IMMERSION BILINGUAL EDUCATION: A GOOD COLOMBIAN OPTION=

If immersion programs aim to provide the quantity and quality of involvement in using the target language with a high level of proficiency, why not apply immersion bilingual in Colombia?

Among the many options practiced in second language education around the world, a model that has attracted increasing attention is one in which a second language is used as a medium of instructions in schools. The history of immersion bilingual education comes from Canadian education experiments. By the mid-1960s, a group of parents in St. Lambert, a Canadian province of Quebec, proposed to their school board a radical departure from any existing Foreign Second Language (FSL) program in Canada: a program in which, from the first day of school in kindergarten, their unilingual English-speaking children would be instructed entirely in French. Thus their children first learnt to read in French, and only later, in grade two, were first language literacy skills introduced into the curriculum. Other subjects were also introduced in English in later grades, so that by grade 6 about half the curriculum was taught in English and half in French.

Thus, Immersion program promotes the students’ academic and cognitive development in their native language (L1) while the Second Language (L2) for instructional and academic purposes is acquired. Immersion program can be introduced at preschool, primary, secondary, and high levels. The process of learning a L2 becomes incidental and unconscious in the first stages, then, formal instruction may occur. (Swain and Johnson, 1997).

Advantages
Some other advantages immersion program offers to be successful in Colombia are: L1 and L2 are both majority languages, equally prestigious and recognized as valuable by the community. Classroom language aims to communicate in a meaningful and authentic way, because the program focuses on learning the target language through content teaching rather than on teaching the language. The program aims to stable bilingualism. It means that L1 proficiency is good enough and in addition, a high level of proficiency is achieved in L2. Students enter with similar levels of L2 of proficiency. Starting with relatively homogeneous language skills not only simplifies the teacher’s task. It also means that pupils’ self esteem and classroom motivation is not a risk due to some pupils being linguistically more expert. (Swain and Johnson, 1997). The classroom culture is that of the local L1 community. Learners feel more comfortable if a sense of familiar environment surround them. The students experience the same curriculum of the “home” education system. The curriculum is designed to have coherence, balance, breadth, relevance, progression and continuity. Students at all points receive a curriculum parallel to non-immersion students. Initial focus is on understanding L2, and later on speaking L2 in a natural and gradual progression.

Although students usually do not become “native-like” in the foreign language, they do become functionally proficient in the immersion language and are able to communicate according to the age and grade level. Immersion students are more aware of and show positive attitudes towards other cultures. Immersion helps to develop good study habits.

Goverment policies
From this perspective, Colombian government can undertake a challenging project leading different processes to adopt immersion program by commitment of those who are involved in the educational context including Ministry of Education, parents, researchers, teachers, and students. They have to be conscious that this demanding program requires a lot of effort, time and perseverance. If government policies highlight the importance education demands, they will give adequate investments, will prepare the staff to face this challenge, will create a corresponding environment and will adapt materials, resources, institutions and techniques.

Researchers, policymakers, and teachers have to be bilingual in order to answer and guide the processes in both languages. In this sense, teachers must be highly skilled bilinguals with a strong commitment to bilingualism and multiculturalism as immersion education aims. . They have to understand the theory that supports bilingual education and their approach/model in particular, as well. An important element is the ability to reflect critically the instruction. Effective instruction occurs when teaching is modified in response to the results of formal and informal assessment of students’ progress. So, they need access to appropriate language assessment resources, and consistent and regular training and support in them. They need to be well versed in appropriate assessment strategies as well as being aware of the limitations of particular assessment measures in different language contexts. They, also, need training in cooperative/collaborative learning and teaching approaches in order to get comprehensible input and develop cognitive, collaborative and academic purposes. Educators should be conscious of the potential for enhancing students’ awareness of language by encouraging them to appreciate and compare aspects of the two languages, as well.

Parents and students would be willing, convinced, and persuaded of the benefits this program offers. Parents of children in immersion programs should maintain an active role in their children’s education by providing experiences that help develop their English language skills and enhance their cognitive and affective development. They should read to them daily and engage them in activities where they need to apply what they are learning in class. Parents should also communicate with the teachers on a regular basis about their children’s academic, social and language development. They should become well informed about immersion, make commitment to keep their children in the immersion program, and support their children’s use of the immersion language outside the school context.

The organization of an appropriate curriculum must be a sequential task of the whole educative society. Because it is a long-term program, there must be a control of the activities taking into account the students’ needs, aspirations, goals; the parents’ perspectives, and the up to date cultural norms established by the society. As it was mentioned before, the curriculum is designed to have coherence, balance, breadth, relevance, progression and continuity in order to achieve reliable, practical and effective results.

Another aspect that must be kept in mind is the appropiation of enough resources to implement the curriculum suited to the linguistic abilities. Specific and extra materials that enhance and help the learning processes are necessary. Every linguistic skill requires specific didactic materials. The hardest part here could be how to fit an adequate environment both in school and at home, because creating a bilingual context demands cultural, economical and linguistic supports. Most of immersion programs are promoted and supported by parents and they are generally middle-class or upper-class. Most Colombian parents are low-class. So, it could be an obstacle to carry out immersion education here.

At last, the way students can be motivated and engaged with the program may lead to the success. Besides the familiar and schooling supports, they should carry out individual and group projects focusing on structural, cultural, sociolinguistic, and socio-political aspects. Knowing the advantages that being bilingual in any culture, students will increase the willing to study immersion programs.

Immersion programs give other possibilities to enhance and promote new ways of learning and acquiring a second language. We as teachers need to be up to date and open minded to those requirements or suggestions that these theories and practices offer us. Although language learning is influenced by many factors, including each student personality and motivation, teacher expectations, parents support, program leadership, kinds of schools, teaching methods, cultural backgrounds, and so far, the new perspectives of being bilingual increase everyday.

Immersion requirements
Immersion Education like any other program has many requirements. A suitable way of working on a project is putting the experiences into practice, knowledge and willingness in doing the best. Also there are some contextual supports that can be applied not only in immersion but in all content based and bilingual education situations. For example, cooperative learning and other forms of project work that encourages students to generate new knowledge rather than to consume information. All those aspects do not go well if policies, engagement and motivation are not present.

We have to build a new educative society that feels the need to improve its inner and outer environment. Language is the best tool for developing the whole of human abilities; if we are aware of this, every moment, we will be worried about how to enhance our individual and group work. Being bilingual will help to understand our own culture and, at least one more.

Immersion program helped me to comprehend the high requirements that we as teachers have. Also the importance of being bilingual taking into account the moral, cultural, and social values that must be applied in a real context. As a matter of fact, we must go on working together consciously and with perseverance till the end.