Bilingual education: advantages and disadvantages

Learning together

August 26, 2021

Parents always want to give the best academic training to our sons and daughters and one of the options that we usually value is bilingual education. It is evident that knowing several languages ​​makes it easier to find a job and, it is also true, that boys and girls have a great facility for learning. In today's post we tell you what bilingual education , what advantages and disadvantages it has, how to choose the right center and what relationship this type of education has with the protection of mother tongues.

What is bilingual education?

is Bilingual education an educational system in which subjects are taught in two languages. Boys and girls learn both languages, so they will have to make an effort and must receive support from their parents.

In many cases, this type of education is chosen when the father and mother are of different nationalities or the entire family is of one nationality, but they are going to live in a foreign country and want to learn the culture and language of the country without losing their roots. In other cases, parents simply decide that bilingual education is a good option for their sons and daughters' future. 

Advantages and disadvantages of bilingual education

If you are thinking about bilingual education for your sons and daughters, these are the advantages you should know: 

• Boys and girls will acquire a very high level of the language, even reaching a native level. This will help them a lot when they join the job market since it will facilitate their access to many jobs and they will be able to have greater geographic mobility.

• makes Bilingual education learning other languages ​​easier, so it is common for bilingual boys and girls to learn other languages ​​more quickly.

• Learning in several languages ​​means that boys and girls will have a more open mind to differences, so they will naturally develop values ​​such as respect, peace, solidarity or tolerance.

• Children learn very easily because, unlike what happens with adults, they are not afraid of making mistakes when speaking in another language.

• Not only will they learn a language, but they will discover a different culture, way of thinking and customs.

As for the disadvantages, there are several aspects that we must consider before choosing bilingual education for your sons and daughters: 

• Studying in two languages ​​is a challenge that requires great effort, both on the part of the children and their parents, who must support and help them.

• If the child does not reach the expected level, he or she may feel frustrated and lose motivation to learn. This may lead to cases of school failure or dropping out of school.

• In the event that the boy or girl has language problems, these can be aggravated with bilingual education.

How to choose the best bilingual school for your sons and daughters?

When choosing a bilingual school for your sons and daughters, you need to consider several fundamental aspects: 

• The teaching staff. Analyze the teachers the school has, their level of knowledge of the language, their experience and the existence of native teachers.

• The school facilities. The quality of bilingual education will depend greatly on the facilities that the educational center has. Technology, software and other facilities can positively influence learning.

• Visit the center. It is not only important that you request written information about the center, but also that you visit it, that you see the classrooms and that they explain how the classes work, what type of activities they do, that you meet the teachers and other parents who already have sons or daughters at that school. The center may organize an open day for parents to come into contact with the center.

• Teaching hours in each language. It is important that the number of teaching hours in each language respects the applicable regulations so that the school is effectively bilingual. For example, in the Community of Madrid, in relation to bilingual schools in the English language, 30% of the teaching hours must be taught in English.

• Activities. Another important aspect is that activities are developed in both languages ​​so that students learn while having fun. For example, they can go to see a movie in the cinema in its original version, organize an activity with parents in the countryside or even take a trip to the country where they are learning the language.

The mother tongue and bilingual education

At Educo we are aware that many languages ​​are disappearing and that is why we promote multilingual, quality education so that mother tongues are preserved. We are clear that for a language to survive there must be people who speak it and governments that protect it. Many indigenous people are afraid to teach their language to their sons and daughters for fear of discrimination, so not only is the language lost, but, little by little, traditions, values, cultural manifestations and customs are lost.

To prevent native languages ​​from being lost, Educo promotes the I play and learn from an early age that takes place in 25 schools in the department of Quiché in Guatemala. This project promotes the learning of boys and girls from zero to four years old to stimulate their psychomotor skills, knowledge and language.

The preservation of mother tongues not only depends on the education that boys and girls receive at school, but also on the effort of fathers and mothers to speak their language to their sons and daughters. Therefore, our program involves fathers and mothers, who become an essential part of learning.