Native-language instruction

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Native-language instruction is the practice of teaching schoolchildren in their native language instead of in the official language of their country of residence.

Foreigners on a temporary visit abroad often prefer this, believing that it will keep their children from falling behind their peers at home as they struggle to master a foreign tongue and culture. Japanese on business trips to the United States sometimes send their children to private schools where they are taught in Japanese. The US government maintains schools for its diplomatic and military personnel stationed in such areas as Europe and the Far East.

Native-language instruction has also been advocated for the children of recent or longterm immigrants in many Western countries, particularly the United States. In this context it is often called "bilingual education". Advocates tout this over what was previously the sole alternative, i.e., full immersion.

Many aspects of native-language instruction are controversial:

• How long should it go on before children are mainstreamed?
• What sorts of ESL programs should accompany it?
• Should it be called "bilingual education"?

Advocates differ on which approach better promotes academic achievement for immigrant children. Both sides cite studies "clearly proving" that:

• teaching students in their native language "is PROVEN to close the gap better and faster than English Immersion" [1]
• ESL students perform far better than bilingual students on reading and math exams [2]

Some touted native-language instruction as a way to help immigrant children resist assimilation into American culture. [3]

[edit] Naming controversy

The phrase teaching children in their native language is clear and unambiguous, and there is no controversy about its wording.

On the other hand, the phrase "bilingual education" has multiple definitions:

• education that helps children become bilingual (sometimes called "two-way bilingual education"; e.g., Spanish speakers and English speakers in a classroom are all taught to speak both languages
• education in a child's native language for (a) the first year or (b) however long it takes; followed by mainstreaming in English-only classes (in the US)
• education in a child's native language for as long as his parents wish (with as little as 30 minutes a day of ESL instruction)