What are bilingual education theories?(1)

Bilingual education theories explore how students learn two (or more) languages and how teaching strategies can best support this process. These theories often address cognitive, social, and cultural aspects of bilingualism and inform the design of educational programs. Below are some key bilingual education theories:

1. Cummins’ Theories of Bilingualism

• a. Common Underlying Proficiency (CUP)
  • Key Idea: Skills, knowledge, and cognitive abilities in one language can transfer to another language. Both languages share a common cognitive foundation.
  • Implications: Strengthening literacy and academic skills in the first language (L1) supports second language (L2) development.

• b. Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills (BICS) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP)
• Key Idea:
  • BICS: Everyday conversational language, typically acquired quickly (1–2 years).
  • CALP: Academic language needed for success in school, which takes longer to develop (5–7 years).

• Implications: Bilingual programs should provide long-term support for academic language development, not just conversational proficiency.

2. Threshold Hypothesis

• Key Idea: Students must reach a certain level of proficiency in both languages to experience the cognitive benefits of bilingualism. Below this threshold, there may be no cognitive advantages or even disadvantages.
• Implications: Bilingual education should ensure balanced development of both languages to maximize cognitive and academic benefits.

3. Developmental Interdependence Hypothesis

• Key Idea: Proficiency in a second language depends on the level of proficiency in the first language. A strong foundation in the first language supports second-language acquisition.
• Implications: Bilingual programs should prioritize the development of students’ L1, especially in early stages.

(To be continued)