Language and the MindLanguage and the MindProf. R. HickeyProf. R. HickeySoSe 2006SoSe 2006

Natural BilingualismNatural Bilingualism

Deborah Hengst GS LNDeborah Hengst GS LN

Sebastian Krieg GS TNSebastian Krieg GS TN

Juliane Schodrok HS LNJuliane Schodrok HS LN

Deborah: 1. Introduction to Bilingualism & EducationDeborah: 1. Introduction to Bilingualism & Education 2. Aspects of Bilingual Education in the 2. Aspects of Bilingual Education in the United States United States

Juliane: 1. Educational Policies for Guest Worker &Juliane: 1. Educational Policies for Guest Worker & Immigrant Children in Germany Immigrant Children in Germany

Sebastian: 1. Consequences of Assessment Sebastian: 1. Consequences of Assessment Procedures of Bilingual Children Procedures of Bilingual Children

2. Political Ideology and Bilingual Education 2. Political Ideology and Bilingual Education

Introduction to Bilingualism and Introduction to Bilingualism and EducationEducation

  Aspects of Bilingual Education in the Aspects of Bilingual Education in the

United StatesUnited States

  

by Deborah Hengstby Deborah Hengst

Hornberger and Skuttnabb-KangasHornberger and Skuttnabb-Kangas  Hornberger (1991): recognizes 3 modelsHornberger (1991): recognizes 3 models  -         -         transitionaltransitional-         -         maintenancemaintenance-         -         enrichmentenrichment  Skuttnabb- Kangas (1984): variables and consequences Skuttnabb- Kangas (1984): variables and consequences involved in typesinvolved in types  -         -         immersionimmersion-         -         submersionsubmersion-- maintenancemaintenance

Introduction to Bilingualism Introduction to Bilingualism and Educationand Education    -        -         In general: There are many different ways andIn general: There are many different ways and

contextcontextss in which children become bilingual in which children become bilingual and and there are there are many different outcomesmany different outcomes

-        -         bbilingualism and education deals with ilingualism and education deals with bilingualism as a positive or negative forcebilingualism as a positive or negative force-        -         by no means a modern phenomenonby no means a modern phenomenon

A number of hypotheses about influences on A number of hypotheses about influences on children’s achievement in school, e.g:children’s achievement in school, e.g:  1 1 bilingualism itselfbilingualism itself2 2 lack of exposure to the school languagelack of exposure to the school language3 3 linguistic mismatch between home and schoollinguistic mismatch between home and school4 4 cultural mismatch cultural mismatch 5 5 inferior quality of education provided to minority inferior quality of education provided to minority

studentsstudents6 6 factors associated with socio-economic statusfactors associated with socio-economic status7 7 disrupted patterns of intergenerational cultural disrupted patterns of intergenerational cultural transmission as a result of minority/majoritytransmission as a result of minority/majority status status relationsrelations

Bilingualism and school educationBilingualism and school education  SchoolSchool

-         -         powerful rolepowerful role-        -         social controlsocial control-         -         endorses mainstream/ middle-class valuesendorses mainstream/ middle-class values-         -         conflict: working-class children/ children belonging to conflict: working-class children/ children belonging to

an ethnic minorityan ethnic minority-         -         violence in schoolviolence in school

children entailed removing them from: parents andchildren entailed removing them from: parents and cultural groupcultural group

Example 1: Physical aspectsExample 1: Physical aspects  9-year-old school girl in Papua New Guinea:9-year-old school girl in Papua New Guinea:  “ Hits them. He’ll hit them. He’ll scold them for speaking pidgin. If they “ Hits them. He’ll hit them. He’ll scold them for speaking pidgin. If they speak pidgin, the headmaster will get angry and hit them and write their speak pidgin, the headmaster will get angry and hit them and write their names names down on a listdown on a list. He’ll punish them.” . He’ll punish them.”   

Example 2: Psychological aspectsExample 2: Psychological aspects  Teaching Kurdish children in Turkish. Skuttnabb-Kangas reports:Teaching Kurdish children in Turkish. Skuttnabb-Kangas reports:  “ ... separation of minority children from their own group has become “ ... separation of minority children from their own group has become institutionalised. The children are not taught enough of their own institutionalised. The children are not taught enough of their own language and culture to be able to appreciate it. They are made to feel language and culture to be able to appreciate it. They are made to feel ashamed of their parents and origin. Although it is not usually done by ashamed of their parents and origin. Although it is not usually done by physical punishment or by telling children that their parents are primitive physical punishment or by telling children that their parents are primitive and uncivilized, the school is organized in such a way so as to convey and uncivilized, the school is organized in such a way so as to convey the same message.”the same message.”

TypologiesTypologies  

-         -         there are many typologies of bilingual educationthere are many typologies of bilingual education-         -         same terms same terms different types different types-         -         different terms different terms same types same types-        -         transitional: also refers to compensatory or transitional: also refers to compensatory or assimilation bilingualismassimilation bilingualism-        -         educational models: defined in terms of their goals educational models: defined in terms of their goals

with respect to language, culture and societywith respect to language, culture and societyprogram types: defined in terms of their program types: defined in terms of their

characteristics relating to student characteristics relating to student population,population,teachers and teachers and program structureprogram structure

Hornberger and Skuttnabb-KangasHornberger and Skuttnabb-Kangas  Hornberger (1991): recognizes 3 modelsHornberger (1991): recognizes 3 models  -         -         transitionaltransitional-         -         maintenancemaintenance-         -         enrichmentenrichment  Skuttnabb- Kangas (1984): variables and consequences Skuttnabb- Kangas (1984): variables and consequences involved in typesinvolved in types  -         -         immersionimmersion-         -         submersionsubmersion-- maintenancemaintenance

aimaim programprogram

enrichmentenrichment immersionimmersion  assimilationassimilation submersionsubmersion   less direct and extreme:less direct and extreme:  

assimilationassimilation transitional bilingualismtransitional bilingualism

Aspects of Bilingual Education in the United StatesAspects of Bilingual Education in the United States

The Bilingual Education ActThe Bilingual Education Act  Aim:Aim: to provide instruction in mother tongue to provide instruction in mother tongue to allow children to to allow children to

proceed into mainstream classes proceed into mainstream classes subtractive bilingualism subtractive bilingualism BasisBasis: : Civil Rights Act of 1964Civil Rights Act of 1964  “ No person in the United States shall, o the ground of race, colour, or “ No person in the United States shall, o the ground of race, colour, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Americans’ belief:Americans’ belief:  Bilingualism Bilingualism = learned achievement= learned achievement

= stigma of recent immigration= stigma of recent immigration  bilingual education bilingual education = ethnicity= ethnicity

= poverty= poverty= compensatory education= compensatory education

WhWhereas:ereas:Foreign language instruction Foreign language instruction

= valuable = valuable economically and culturally economically and culturally(world’s major languages)(world’s major languages)

ConclusionConclusion  United States: United States: no intention of giving wider no intention of giving wider

recognition to the recognition to the students’ minority languagesstudents’ minority languages

   Although: Although: many experts such as Padilla many experts such as Padilla

(1990) demand:(1990) demand:Bilingual education as a Bilingual education as a strategy for all studentsstrategy for all students

Educational Policies for Guest Worker Educational Policies for Guest Worker & Immigrant Children in Germany& Immigrant Children in Germany

by Juliane Schodrokby Juliane Schodrok

- During the 1960‘s & 1970‘s a new wave of immigrants During the 1960‘s & 1970‘s a new wave of immigrants entered many of the western Europe countries to serve entered many of the western Europe countries to serve as guest workers as guest workers

- Foreigners account for instance 2 % of the population in - Foreigners account for instance 2 % of the population in Denmark, while 7 % in Germany Denmark, while 7 % in Germany

- Economic expansions began to decline in the 1970‘s- Economic expansions began to decline in the 1970‘s

- As unemployment rates began to rise in the European - As unemployment rates began to rise in the European countries, people began to argue that guest workers countries, people began to argue that guest workers should be sent home should be sent home

- Guest working may also disrupts family life ( man emigrates first )

- In some cases work permits were only given to unmarried men without children

- They are often untrained and unable demanding their rights → menial kinds of labour

- Different countries have different policies regarding the legal status of guest workers & immigrants

- Some states have committed themselves taking certain measures to care for the educational needs of ethnic minority & migrant children ( vary from country to country )

- Tove Skutnabb-Kangas ( a linguist from Helsinki ) makes a distinction between guest worker & immigrant

↓

guest workers have no legal right to remain in the host country, while immigrants do

- In the case of guest workers, some sending countries may extend aspects of their legal & educational system to the host country ( Turkish police & extremist organizations are allowed to operate in Germany )

- In Germany there are 6 differen types of classes in which guest workers` children receive their education

1.Ordinary German classes with minimal or no consideration

2.Special classes for guest workers` children only - Follows the German Curriculum - Children are segregated from German – speaking kids

3.International preparatory schools - Intensive training in German as a second language - Transitional because children are expected to be intergrated into the ordinary German classes

4.Another type of transitional program provides instruction in the native language for several years & German as a second language

↓

5.Some of these lead to compulsory transfer to ordinary German classes after grade 6

6.Mother tongue classes which follows the Curriculum of the home countries & are

organized by them

- Segregationist model & does not aim at bilingualism

- Maintenace of the native language & culture

- From the perspective of the child‘s chances of returning to the home country & reintergrating → only the last option is a

resonable one

Bilingualism and educationBilingualism and education

by Sebastian Krieg

Some consequences of Some consequences of Assessment procedures of Assessment procedures of

bilingual childrenbilingual children- unacknowledged relationship between bilingualism and special education

- Cummins (1984) discussed why a large number of minority language children have been placed into special education classes.

- He blames the misguided use of psychological assessment tests for presenting ethnic minority children in mentally retarded classes.

- educators poorly understand intelligence, learning disability, language proficiency and bilingualism

Some consequences of Some consequences of Assessment procedures of Assessment procedures of

bilingual childrenbilingual children

-This refers to a low verbal IQ, which many children of ethnic minorities have. The result of a low verbal IQ is that these children are classified as mentally deficient. Cummins draws a conclusion that a low verbal IQ reflects inadequacy abilities to speak proper English.

- These tests are in English, so that no valid assessment can be made about minority children.

- Cummins says that there is tom much credence attached to these results. Research has proven that tests which focus on knowledge which minority children have, are likely good as test of majority children.

Some consequences of Some consequences of Assessment procedures of Assessment procedures of

bilingual childrenbilingual children

-IQ tests are constructed to exclude all cultural ways of gaining intelligence.

-Intelligence is learned through specific cultural ways in the particular language. So it is impossible to generate a test of intelligence which is not bound to the cultural and social context.

- Cummins mentions that teachers tend to have negative expectations of minority children.

- He also states that there large achievement differences between different minorities. These differences often tend to be ignored.

Some consequences of Some consequences of Assessment procedures of Assessment procedures of

bilingual childrenbilingual children- Cummings claims that bilingualism is the scapegoat to

legitimize discriminatory educational practices.

- The identification of cultural differences depends on ethnographic observation in the community.

- The negative attitudes of the majority towards the minority may result in low self-esteem. Their worldview is projected onto the view of the minority. This would extend the “power” of the majority.

Some consequences of Some consequences of Assessment procedures of Assessment procedures of

bilingual childrenbilingual children

- Patterns of bilingualism cannot be regarded as the cause of failure since the are determined by social and educational factors.

Political Ideology and Political Ideology and Bilingual EducationBilingual Education

- Political and sociological idealogy is an important mediatorial feature in issues between bilingualism and bilingual education.

- Fishman (1992) says that if transsitional education helps in the acqusition of the majority language, then it will soon be phased out and all instruction will soon be in the majority language.

Political Ideology and Political Ideology and Bilingual EducationBilingual Education

- He continues to state that if transitional bilingual education produces unsatisfactory results, it will be blamed and ist recipients threaten it for not solving the problems that the mainstream is largely responsible for.

- People tend to react quite shocked and astonished when transitional or any kind of bilingual education does not

lead to maintenance.

Political Ideology and Political Ideology and Bilingual EducationBilingual Education

- Bilingual education needs to be established as a strategy - Bilingual education needs to be established as a strategy for all students and not as a special program für for all students and not as a special program für disadvantaged minorities.disadvantaged minorities.

- Only a few educational systems are usiing the child`s - Only a few educational systems are usiing the child`s bilingualism as a begining to genreate a resource across bilingualism as a begining to genreate a resource across the school curriculum. the school curriculum.

Political Ideology and Political Ideology and Bilingual EducationBilingual Education

- Edwards (1981) states that schools end to reflect society. - Edwards (1981) states that schools end to reflect society. He concludes that if bilingual programs can be He concludes that if bilingual programs can be recognized as a response to the appeals from the minor recognized as a response to the appeals from the minor groups, which are a part of the attempt to define groups, which are a part of the attempt to define themselves with the new context, which means the new themselves with the new context, which means the new language.language.

Political Ideology and Political Ideology and Bilingual EducationBilingual Education

Conclusion: Bilingualism, education and society are strongly interweaved. Bilingualism always develops in a particular social context. Every society has their own goal on context to invole bilingual children from minor social classes. It is nearly impossible to create a perfect type of `skill-school` because there are to many factors to consider.

Thank you for your attentionThank you for your attention