Bilingual education is a type of education in which a student learns in two languages: his or her native or native language and a secondary language that is considered a common or official language. In some countries, this type of education is quite common and popular, while in others, it is frowned upon or has been completely abandoned in favor of unilingual programs. In a bilingual program, different classes are usually divided into one language or the other, with different materials in each language. In areas where there are several common languages or countries with a large immigrant population, bilingual education is quite common and popular.
Bilingual education, in general, is the practice of including two languages in a student’s education. In Spain, for example, there is an official national language, Castilian Spanish, as well as four regional languages. Many students learn both languages in order to effectively facilitate education in a way that establishes national usage of Castilian without destroying regional language variations. Some classes will be taught in one language, while others will be taught in the other.
In the Middle East, for example, bilingual and trilingual education are widely used. Subjects like language and history are frequently taught in local, native languages like Arabic. Science and math, on the other hand, are frequently taught in English, with French or Kurdish being used in some regions. This type of bilingual education allows students to learn in their native language, which they and their parents speak at home, as well as a secondary language in which they will become proficient. It is also common for students to easily transfer concepts learned in their native language to a better understanding of the secondary language.
Bilingual education is a source of contention or debate among educators and political leaders in other countries. For example, the United States (US) has a variety of language and education policies, with a strong emphasis on English-only learning. In some states, new students may spend one to three years learning in their native language while also learning English before being placed in classrooms that are primarily taught in English.
Other states, such as Arizona, do not allow for any adjustment time and immediately place students in classrooms where English is the primary or sole language. The effectiveness of such programs is debatable, but the No Child Left Behind Act mandated that all students, regardless of English proficiency, take annual English tests. However, in the United States, there are many supporters of various types of bilingual education, and some secondary language classes are frequently required of all American students before they complete public education.