promise of bilingualism

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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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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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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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

promise of bilingualism

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