Bilingual method
Bilingual method means using one language (mother tongue) which the students have mastered in learning English. The mother tongue is learnt by the child in real life situations and thus has various ideas and concepts in his mind because of the direct experience. The bilingual method makes use of the traditional three P’s: presentation, practice, production. The three P’s are the three main stages of any language lesson. First, you present material. Then you all practice together and students are expected to produce something with their new knowledge. This method was developed by C.J.Dodson in the 1960s and 1970s. Dodson set out to make improvements to the audio-visual method (which has much in common with the direct method outlined above).
The bilingual method makes use of the traditional three P’s: presentation, practice, production. The three P’s are the three main stages of any language lesson. First, you present material. Then you all practice together and students are expected to produce something with their new knowledge.The bilingual method advocates the use of the Language 1 in learning the Language 2. It’s distinct from the grammar-translation method in that it places a strong emphasis on oral language. Later in this post we’ll examine in more detail how these principles can benefit learning in your classroom. Bilingual Method allows the teacher and pupils to use two languages; one is the target language to be learnt and the other mother-tongue which is used to achieve the target language English(One language may be English and the other language is the learner’s mother tongue or the regional language).. Bilingual Method is suitable to Indian multicultural context where people speak different regional languages. For us, bilingual education means that learners study typical school subjects – for example, maths or geography – through an additional language (such as English) and some subjects through their first language, or they may study the same subject through two languages.
Types of dual language
There are four main types of dual language programme, which mainly differ in the population:
- Developmental, or maintenance, bilingual programs. …
Most bilingual children speak their first words by the time they are 1 year old. By age 2, most children can use two-word phrases. Phrases like “my ball” or “more juice” can be in one or both languages. From time to time, children may mix grammar rules.
- Two-way (bilingual) immersion programs.
Two-way programs support two language groups of students to become bilingual, bi-cultural, and bi-literate. For example, a mix of first language Spanish-speaking and English-speaking students would learn in both languages….
- Foreign language immersion, language immersion or one-way immersion. .
.. One-way immersion: Used frequently in the Southwestern United States to refer to developmental bilingual education; also frequently used to refer to foreign language immersion
- Heritage language programs.
- Heritage language programme are often created out of a community’s desire to pass on their language and culture from one generation to the next in order to maintain connections within families and communities.
Purpose of bilingual education
The goal of bilingual education programs shall be to enable English language learners to become competent in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the English language through the development of literacy and academic skills in the primary language and English.
types of bilingualism
Bilingualism is divided into three different types. Both co-ordinated bilingualism and compound bilingualism develop in early childhood and are classified as forms of early bilingualism. The third type is late bilingualism, which develops when a second language is learned after age 12.
Benefits of a bilingual education
The main benefits of a bilingual education are:
- Increased cognitive development.
- Better academic achievement.
- Improved memory.
- Resistance to dementia.
- Increased economic opportunities.
- Cross cultural appreciation.
- Improvements in the executive function of the brain.
Advantages of the Bilingual Method
1-functional bilinguals
If the aim of language learning is ultimately for the student to become multilingual then this method models this positive outcome from the very beginning. As the students begin their language learning journey, their destination is visible in their language teacher. The competence and confidence of the teacher as she moves from Language 1 to Language 2 and back again is a clear model for the student to emulate.
2. optimizes learning opportunities
Rather than being a hindrance, advocates of the bilingual method argue that the mother tongue of the students is the greatest resource in the language learning process. This is true particularly for those students over the age of 7 or 8, when the mother tongue has been firmly established in the students’ minds. The bilingual method allows easy glossing of difficult words and efficient explanations of points of grammar. Time saved in this manner optimizes learning opportunities.
3. Enriching experiences
While English, with an estimated 328 million speakers, is the third most widely spoken language in the world, it’s perhaps first in terms of prestige. For this reason, students worldwide are clamoring to learn it. This is good news for English language teachers. However, there are inherent dangers for languages considered less prestigious.
The French linguist Claude Hagege argues, “If we aren’t cautious about the way English is progressing it may eventually kill most other languages.”
An important aspect of the bilingual method is the acknowledgement it gives to the importance and the validity of the student’s L1 language and culture. Language learning is one of the most enriching experiences we can have as human beings. It isn’t merely the substitution of one means of communication for another. It’s a celebration of the diversity that exists in the world and we would be infinitely poorer with it.
4. Accessibility
The bilingual method ensures accessibility. Students beginning the daunting task of learning a new language can immediately find a level of familiarity, avoiding the terrors of that “deer in the headlights” stage of acquiring new skills.
Through the use of the mother tongue, meaning is conveyed efficiently and the teacher can ensure that concepts have really been grasped, adapting the pace of the lesson accordingly.
5. Discipline
Many fresh-faced English language teachers landing on exotic shores with a shiny new TEFL certificate struggle with this one. An oft-heard complaint among foreign teachers is that they aren’t afforded the respect given to the local teachers.
Learning the local language can be a sure-fire way to improve your behavior management skills. Expectations can be made explicit from the beginning when you have the ability to speak the students’ Language 1. It’ll also aid in ensuring smooth transitions between lesson activities, ensuring best use is made of the time available.You can get into the details of language much more deeply than you can if you only speak English. If you can explain concepts in the students’ L1, then newcomers to English will be able to grasp the more complex statements you’ll want to make about grammar and vocabulary use. All in all, you’ll be able to get your students farther, faster.
6 Employs the Native language
Though the bilingual method employs the students’ native language, it’s important to note that it’s predominantly the teacher who makes use of L1. This distinguishes it from the grammar-translation method which relies more on rote learning and the translation of texts.
The bilingual method focuses more on using the language for oral communication. Students won’t be using their native tongue much in the classroom.
7. strong foundations
As with the direct method, basic texts make use of picture strips to accompany the dialogue. The bilingual method makes use of the written form of the language from the start. This allows students to begin to see the shapes of words as they repeat them orally.