Bilingual Education at Elementary Level: Navigating Concerns, Maximizing Benefits

Abstract

There has been dissemination of concerns surrounding bilingual education implementation highlighting issues such as the English proficiency levels of learners, apprehensions regarding potential language barriers hindering content acquisition, and bilingual resource limitations within educational contexts. Nevertheless, it is crucial to emphasize that bilingual education at the elementary school level presents substantial potential benefits. These benefits encompass the enhancement of critical thinking and cognitive skills, improved language proficiency, the cultivation of global awareness, and the facilitation of collaborative curriculum design between subject and English teachers during lesson planning.

In the context of this panel, the primary focus is on the presentation of bilingual lessons centered around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the integration of multimodality and translanguaging practices and gain insights into the utilization of the Teams reading progress program. Additionally, the presentation will highlight the achievements and positive feedback from young learners who have actively engaged with these bilingual lessons. This comprehensive perspective on bilingual education equips the audience with a nuanced understanding of its potential to address concerns while facilitating enriched learning experiences and teacher collaboration.