Bilingual Education

Broadly defined, bilingual education is the use of two languages for instruction and learning of academic content in schools, usually in PK-12, but can also include higher education. While this definition is the common thread that categorizes education in two languages, there are wide differences in models, linguistic goals, distribution of each language, targeted population, and more. In the United States, bilingual education is typically offered to students who are not proficient in English, commonly known as English-language learners (ELL). In dual language or two-way immersion, a model of bilingual education, native English-speaking students participate, as well. Bilingual education programs use ELLs’ native language and English as a second language for instruction of literacy and the content areas.

According to the National Association for Bilingual Education Web site, bilingual education “refers to approaches in the classroom that use the native languages of English language learners (ELLs) for instruction. Goals include: teaching English; fostering academic achievement; acculturating immigrants to a new society; preserving a minority group's linguistic and cultural heritage; enabling English speakers to learn a second language; developing national language resources; or any combination of the above.”

Bilingual education has been implemented across the world for centuries. Because linguistic diversity is the norm in many societies, the use of multiple languages for instruction is a common practice. Bilingualism and multilingualism has been created out of trade, migration, politics, natural disasters, war, and colonialism. Technological advances and widespread use of virtual communication tools, increasing international travel, and growing migration have raised the bilingual population throughout the world. Most of the world's population is bilingual: 56percent of Europeans are bilingual, while 38 percent of the population in Great Britain, 35 percent in Canada, and 17 percent in the United States are bilingual. A study conducted by the United Nations found that 66 percent of the world's children are bilingual or multilingual. The current increase in multilingualism is partly because more people around the world are educating their children in a second language, especially in English, but also in Arabic, Chinese, and Spanish.