Promise of Bilingualism
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Transcript of Promise of Bilingualism
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8/8/2019 Promise of Bilingualism
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The Gift and Promise of Bilingualism:
Building Students Ownership
Keynote Address by Nancy L. Commins
Colorado Association for Bilingual Education
October 15, 2010
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UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS
The primary language, developed in thecontext of social interaction, is fundamentalto the thinking, learning, and identity ofevery individual.
Students first and second languagesinteract with one another. The instructional
opportunities students receive in eachlanguage will play a critical role indetermining their levels of bilingualism andacademic achievement in any language
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UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS
Bilingualism is a cognitive, social, andeconomic asset for all people, and schoolscan play a significant role in helping
students from English and non-Englishbackgrounds develop full academicbilingualism.
Individuals will need to function in a
multicultural society. Students knowledgeof their own culture as well as the culture ofothers is important not only to their schoolperformance but to their overall success.
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Common Underlying Proficiency
redefinedThink of the brain as a
CONCEPTUAL RESERVOIR
Once we know something in one language wedont need to relearn it to use it in another. Wejust need to learn how to express what wealready know.
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Our job as educators:
fill the reservoir as deeply as possible.
Assure that students are gaining concepts
and knowledge and practicing higher orderthinking skills no matter the context orthe language used to do so.
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Adding to the Reservoir
Through the Primary Language
Listening, observing, reading, and
imitating, doing
Speaking, writing, artistic expression,
physical movement, etc.
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Deepen the Reservoir Strengthen the
Pathways
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Learning a Second Language Begins With
Representing What is Already Known
L2
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Adding to the Reservoir Through a Second
Language
Using Both Languages
L2
L2
TRANSFER
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The figure at the end of the road represents academic bilingualism.
Emerging bilinguals are traveling on both pathways regardless of instructional
program
Our obligation: Maximize students potential to get there.
Instill the understanding that to be bilingual
is more than sum of being two monolinguals
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NOW THE TALK BEGINS
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AN ASSET ORIENTATION
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Clueing Students in on
the Nature of Bilingualism & Biliteracy
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Becoming more Intentional in the Classroom
Grouping and Regrouping
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Back to the Assumptions
Think again about your own setting and
circumstances.
What are some ways you could build onto
what you already do to help students to
take greater ownership of their
developing bilingualism, biliteracy, andintercultural competence?
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UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS
The primary language, developed in thecontext of social interaction, is fundamentalto the thinking, learning, and identity of
every individual.
Students first and second languagesinteract with one another. The instructional
opportunities students receive in eachlanguage will play a critical role indetermining their levels of bilingualism andacademic achievement in any language
-
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UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS
Bilingualism is a cognitive, social, andeconomic asset for all people, and schoolscan play a significant role in helping
students from English and non-Englishbackgrounds develop full academicbilingualism.
Individuals will need to function in a
multicultural society. Students knowledgeof their own culture as well as the culture ofothers is important not only to their schoolperformance but to their overall success.
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Kiitos Merci Gracias
Thanks