Immersion Bilingual Program - Case Study Example

Immersion Bilingual Program Name Institution Introduction In the current 21st century, it is essential that the Australian students learn the languages and skills that will allow them to participate in the challenges of the modern world. In the year 2008, statistics showed that close to 45% of the English learners in Australia have backgrounds in French. In essence, the population comprised of individuals who migrated to Australia from French-speaking nations resulting in the dual bilingual. Therefore, language skills are essential for such participation to take place. The article will examine bilingual immersion programs that aim to deliver the scope and curriculum content in different languages. Linguistic skills will aid the students in achieving competencies and a deeper knowledge on some of the issue facing the world today. The article will review successful proposals made by two authors of the successful immersion of language in Australia. The findings presented reflect that the implementation of immersion programs primarily offer various opportunities for the students to engage with the outside world better. Scope and Sequence Chart By the end of year 9, the students should compare and contrast the significance of bilingual immersion program in the school curriculum. They account for the differences through interactive sessions at the classroom. The students should identify the challenges faced by new learners of a second language. Scope and sequence chart Unit of work: French Number of hours + total number of lessons: 2+8 Class: Year 3-10 Prior knowledge of content and language: Poor Content goals for unit: Building Language Interactions Language goals for unit: Understanding the French Language Comprehensively Week TOPIC LANGUAGE FOCUS CONTENT FOCUS ACTIVITIES ASSESSMENT TASK(S) Formative/summative 1 Interacting Participating in the routine exchanges of asking how others are doing Interacting with each other through the use of descriptive languages Participation in range of activities such as written and spoken words Formative 2 Building Language for class interactions Following of instructions from the lecturer Using of different questions to determine level of understanding Reflecting and comparing on the general experience of learning and using French language Formative 3 Grammatical and Vocabulary knowledge Application of elements of French grammar such as adverbs and pronouns Developing clear knowledge of the French grammatical elements Group discussions to understand the French grammar like past tenses Summative 4 Moving between languages Translating short texts from English to French Considering the role of culture when translating Interacting with French speakers Summative Two-Way Immersion/ Dual Language Program by Virginia Collier & Wayne Thomas In the first article, the research was conducted in 15 states from the year 2005 to the present. It analyzed the records of 6 million students. The article noted that the native English and French speakers in Australia needed between three to five years to demonstrate what they learned in school as second languages. In essence, the research presented describes the concept of two-way immersion and the use of dual language model as an additive notion. By learning a second language other than their native one, the students add to their linguistic repertoire (Harnish, 2009). The students gain understanding through education of cognitive challenging lessons in class. The use of grade level content in the interactive classes emphasizes the real problem experienced in the actual world context. Additionally, Wayne presents the current condition of the immersion of French language in the Australian Curriculum at a school in Queensland. Further, the article discusses the impact of the bilingual immersion education on central EALs by using content and language integrated learning program. The focus will center on students’ performance and the ability to communicate with each other. It is evident from the article that proficiency in languages takes place after several years of learning the subject. Hence, the students become conversant and fluent in both languages. According to (ACT Department of Education, 2011), the English language learners acquire significant proficiency in French after four to five years of schooling. Statistics shows that the fully proficient bilinguals demonstrate a high level of cognitive advantages. The bilingual students often record better results than the monolingual since they have divergent views and exceptional problem-solving skills. Current Bilingual education in Australia According to Virginia & Wayne, French learning has a significant impact at the primary level of education. The majority of schools in Australia consider French as a second language. In the recent past, bilingual education gained significant growth in most of the cities like Sydney and Perth. More families embrace the use of French as a second language due to the increase in popularity at elementary school level (ACT Department of Education, 2011). Consequently, the economic and culture situation improves because of the bilingual immersion education. Further, the immersion of bilingual program continues from an early age so that students can gain familiarity with the French language. However, it is common that the majority of the students fail to express themselves correctly in the French language. Discussion of two Issues The two discussion issues include a focus on globalization and the use of bilingual immersion programs. It is imperative to note that language aids the process of globalization through the school curriculum. For instance, the preamble of the educational goals of Melbourne states that the capacity of Australia to provide global knowledge will depend on immersion of bilingual programs in their school curriculums (J & Lauren, 2008). The preceding statement presupposes that the curricular activities provided in schools must create an enabling environment for the Australian students to become competitive global players. Hence, the discussion argues that the immersion of the second language in school curriculum presents a better opportunity for the students to engage globally. The proponents of the view contribute to the main research on the content and language integrated learning (CLIL). They compare and contrast the various variables of school context and curriculum of the immersion education in Australia. The central focus relates to the significance of the immersion program in the creation of a flexible learning pathway in Australia. Further, the section recognizes the diverse linguistic and cultural differences of all the Australian students. While taking into account various comparative measures like beliefs and values of the pupils, the section agrees with the proposal by (Anderson, 2013) for the importance of a global ethnography. The dispositions provided as lenses included the following; 1). The students should speak and understand a foreign language rather than their native one. 2). the students should have a positive disposition towards the existing cultural differences. The content and language integrated learning in Australia (CLIL) Over the past ten years, the Australian elementary schools have experienced a growing number of immersion programs of second languages in their curriculum. It was necessitated by the growing concern in Australia that globalization requires the efficient use of various languages. It led to the adoption of the immersion program. At such state, a foreign language other than the native English is used in different schools as a medium for teaching curriculum for at various school levels. Because of challenges such as migration, the immersion program plays a critical role in merging the masses in a school setting worldwide. As a result, Australia has begun to enter the discourse as well. In the recent past, the development of national curriculum for languages necessitated the Victoria-based teachers to conduct research about the immersion program. The students were asked if they prefer to learn a second language in a survey carried out online. Close to 75% of the respondents assigned a higher importance for the inclusion of a second language in their school curriculum. Moreover, in the recent council discussing the review of second languages in the school curriculum, the author of the article discusses the importance of inclusion as the primary design for developments in Australia. According to (Education Queensland, 2008), the immersion program concept proved extremely useful in Queensland formal education system. The literature available on global competence places a significant importance on the role of learning a second language for the purposes of engaging with different cultures. It is evident that some of the issues that lead to engagement at all levels are inherent in some of the schools that offer immersion programs. However, it is imperative to note that concepts such as bilingualism and the bilingual education in schools involve various personalities to consider. The inclusion of a second language needs adequate planning that requires the support of all the stakeholders. Hence, the following sections will look at the concepts of global competence and use of the second language in intercultural engagement. The central focus is Queensland in Australia. Immersion teaching in Queensland The use of the content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is evident all over the world. It reflects the flows in migration from one continent to the other as well as the connections between different cultures. In societies that have bilingual contexts, the immersion starts at a very early age. For instance, Queensland uses English as the primary language of instruction, and it remains the dominant form of teaching in hundreds of schools in Australia. However, the concept of immersion has continued to gain ground in Australia (Appadurai, 2008). In Queensland, the concept refers to teaching a second language at the onset from years 7-9. Presently, close to ten schools in the region feature the immersion program in languages such as French, Spanish, and Italian. As part of achieving language proficiency, the programs were designed to ensure the second language learners started learning at the onset. The initial results from my study of the immersion programs in the region of Queensland indicate that the native speakers feel attracted to the immersion programs across all the various languages offered. Hence, a typical classroom in the area comprises of both the native and the bilingual speakers who have diverse cultures. Additionally, the final decision to offer the immersion program in Queensland focuses on three main areas namely mathematics, studies of society and science. It is not possible to classify Australia as a bilingual society hence the need to incorporate immersion programs. As a result, the proficient speakers of foreign languages are not in abundant supply. However, the current condition of migration allows the schools to employ native speakers with qualifications to teach in these schools. The need to implement the immersion programs fully often steers the teachers to research on the web and learn through the modern facilities such as interactive whiteboards (J & Lauren, 2008). Consequently, the immersion teachers in the region of Queensland have adopted the use of media that enables development of enhanced learning activities. Therefore, the context of learning in Queensland emerges as one of a hybridized version with the integration of second learning language. It improves on the intercultural skills and the use of literacy skills at all levels of interactions. Articulation of the French Curriculum with the Classroom Articulation of the BICS/CALP Curriculum Preamble It describes the BICS context, the relationship between the Immersion programs and the bilingualism, harmonization of new foreign languages. It includes the school’s curriculum and the French- Australian class structures. Interdisciplinary ELAs 1-6 and French competences are integrated across organizers Overviews The overviews are the articulation of the scope and sequence documents at year level, Year 3-8. Year teams create overviews each semester to meet the needs of the students. They include agreed elements such as differentiation of curriculum, bilingual and harmonized activities, LA, ESL and gifted and talented. Units of Work Each teacher designs a learning program for his or her class and classes. Further, they will decide on pedagogical approaches and assessment tasks for their students. The results of the Evaluations are designed to inform and plan activities to meet the needs of all students. Assessment and Reporting The teachers assess the performance according to the outcomes identified in the overview. They use several tools to assess the students. The use of work samples assist teachers in year teams to establish standards across classes. The Student achievement is reported throughout the year through avenues such as Learning Journeys, Parent-Teacher Interviews, Outcome and A-E Reports, PIPs and reports. A recent research at Brisbane was conducted regarding the immersion of German in the schools within the region. It involved holding of interviews between the teachers and the students in the year 9 (Passeron, 2007). The interviews were conducted in a formal setting during the school breaks such as lunchtime and tea break. The findings of the data collected indicated that the students created a particular identity around the immersion program offered at the school. The immersion program helped them understand the issues around the world other than those in the country of their origin. The data collected supports the argument of Karsh's that students learn concepts that will shape their lifestyles through other foreign languages. It also reported that the pupils and teachers cover the same topics relating to The German language in the classroom. The immersion program exists in the capital city as well. It is because French and English languages are the primary languages existing in the school programs. The program is similar to the middle years in Queensland and utilizes the same curriculum used to develop the learning content. However, it integrates the inter-government agreement for the purposes of meeting the requirements of the two French and Australian governments. The students who attend the schools learn the two languages as integrated into the curriculum. The reason I chose the concept of globalization and immersion program in schools is that the students come from diverse cultures (Harnish, 2009). Further, the use of foreign languages in school is instrumental in establishing a strong sense of belonging to an individual community. It ensures that students learn the values and beliefs of other societies. However, the maintenance of such a process requires the commitment and resource of all. For instance, the schools in Brisbane incorporate the early development of French language for the learners in kindergarten. By the time the student reaches year three, they can develop all the fundamental literacy skills in the French language. From the age four to six, the students understand all the concepts by being able to switch from one language to the other. It is evident that the dynamic nature of the new practices involving a mix of French and Australian approaches ensures greater understanding of various concepts. For instance, the activities taking place in a bilingual classroom with both the teachers and students creates a transnational understanding of fields (Waters, 2009). The students get many opportunities to apply the foreign language in diverse fields outside the classroom. In conclusion, we deduce the Appadurai's view of modernity and derive our conclusion. It is evident that the immersion program in Australia invariably creates a scenario that unites people from different spheres. Hence, the call for the integration of global linguistic can only be incorporated in the ongoing policies and initiatives at the Australian schools. As pointed out by Burawoy, the connections enhance strong ties between various nations. The analysis of the article has pointed out the need to teach the second languages at all the schools in Australia. Bilingual immersion programs produce students who have the ability to present diverse views towards other cultures. One aspect that arises is the use of bilingual immersion for the purposes of the provision of flexible learning activities for all the students (Australian Treaty Series of Queensland, 2009). However, some of the natives in Queensland become drawn to the immersion programs provided in the school curriculum. The study will provide significant knowledge to the policy makers in the government and the school administrators. It is imperative to note that immersion programs provide new possibilities to the students in Australia. It is because the students become engaged with the various transnational fields other than their native personalities (ACT Department of Education, 2011). Finally, it is important that the stakeholders take into account the long-term impact of bilingualism in the Australian society. Such programs must be designed to address the needs of the global world. As such, the addition of the second language in the school curriculum will enhance intercultural skills. References ACT Department of Education. (2011). ACT Educational Leadership Framework. Canberra: ACT Department of Education, 8(3), 1-12 ACT Department of Education. (2011). Every Chance to Learn Bilingual Immersion Program. Sydney: ACT Department Publishers, 7(2), 8-17 Anderson, B. (2013). Imagined Communities; Reflections on the Origins and Spread of Immersion Programs. London: Cengage Publishers, 5(3), 51-55 Appadurai, A. (2008). Modernity at Large. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 11(2), 14-18 Australian Treaty Series of Queensland. (2009). Agreement Between the Governments of Australia and the French Government. Queensland: Australian Government Publishing Company, 15(4), 3-27 Harnish, A. (2009). Contemporary Discourses of Citizenship. Review of Educational Research , 14(2), 653-690. J, A., & Lauren, C. (2008). Globalization and Education In Australia. International Journal on Childhood Education of Second Language , 8(2), 64-66. Passeron, B. (2007). Reproduction in Education, Society and Culture. Perth: Sage Publishers, 10(6), 30-43 Waters, B. (2009). International higher education and the mobility of migrants in Australia. Journal of Research in International Education, 8(6), 191-209. Read More