Bilingual Education: ¿Si o No?

Thanks to globalization, people now recognize the importance of learning a language beyond their native tongue for work, family, or leisure.

Increasingly, academic institutions are integrating bilingual programs into their educational models to offer their students an international experience that introduces them to different cultures, among other benefits.

Speaking a second language is becoming increasingly common. In 2024, the United Nations reported that half of the world’s population speaks at least two languages. However, despite being an option available in many institutions and its well-known advantages, bilingual education has become a controversial issue for families, teachers, and institutions.

Before examining the controversies surrounding this topic, it is essential to review this concept, which, at first glance, appears simple but is actually complex due to the diverse language branches and their varying meanings. The Real Academia Española defines bilingualism as “the regular use of two languages in the same region or by the same person.” However, many authors debate this definition, arguing that genuine bilingualism would consist of mastering both languages. Even so, others say that equality in knowledge of both languages is impossible because one language (especially the mother tongue) will always take precedence over the other.

Even the definition of bilingual education may differ. Some authors describe it as education that aims to use one or more languages in addition to the native language as an instructional medium to complete the academic curriculum (Genesee, 2004) or education that instructs students to use their native language correctly so that, as time passes, an additional language can be integrated (Rossell and Baker, 1996).

Clearly, the concept of bilingualism differs from person to person, and this is even more pronounced in educational contexts, where academic institutions have their own perspectives on bilingualism and its benefits, as well as on the best way to incorporate a second language into their curriculum.

Advantages of bilingualism

Speaking another language is advantageous because it enables communication with people outside one’s community, thus offering excellent opportunities for holistic development. Although knowing how to communicate in two different languages is associated with more job opportunities, a bilingual education transforms students’ lives culturally, socially, and even cognitively.

A bilingual environment helps develop students’ intercultural competencies. Inevitably, they immerse themselves in the culture of the language they are learning, which provides them with a broader understanding of cultural contexts beyond those of their mother tongue, making it easier to adapt to other countries.

Additionally, awareness, respect, and empathy are values and competencies that students can develop when exposed to a second language, which encourage them to learn about different cultures, as well as concepts and sensations that do not exist in their language. For example, the word “sobremesa” or direct equivalents do not exist in English, French, or Italian. This practice of engaging in conversation after finishing eating is common in many countries, but there is no specific term for it. However, for Spanish speakers, chatting with people after sharing a meal (sobremesa) is quite common and even traditional. Saudade in Portuguese, wabi-sabi in Japanese, and prozvonit in Czech are also examples of words that have no equivalents across languages and define cultural aspects in the countries where these languages are spoken.

Knowing non-existent words in one’s native language allows us to immerse ourselves in other cultures and our own thoughts, feelings, and ideals, thus expanding our understanding. It leads people to improve their effective communication in both personal and professional situations, as well as their self-awareness and introspection.

While the Internet has, to some extent, made it easier for billions of people to access information, language can still be a barrier to accessing many sources of information. Many of these will not be translated, and even when AI translation is used (which carries the risk of poor translation), it will not be the same as reading the original content, thereby closing significant doors to accessing different knowledge.

Learning to speak a second language also enhances cognitive processes and even alters one’s thinking. The brain’s efforts when it switches from one language to another strengthen it and keep it complex and active, improving mental flexibility and memory, as well as increasing skills such as decision-making and the rapid filtering of non-relevant information. Studies have even proven that bilingual people can delay the development of symptoms of cognitive diseases, such as dementia, in older people by up to four years.

While learning a second language brings many advantages, it is essential to note that it is not a replacement for one’s native language, but rather an addition to the learning process. Having a solid foundation in the mother tongue is essential for the integral development of students, especially within the communities where they reside on a daily basis. In addition, this knowledge facilitates learning a second or even third language, where the mother tongue plays a vital role in transferring skills acquired to the new language, a phenomenon known as linguistic interdependence.

Opposition to bilingual education

Mastering two languages has multiple benefits. However, over the years, this topic has been a source of controversy; even today, some parents and teachers continue to reject bilingual education.

Some teachers may dislike this educational model because many of them did not receive bilingual education, so carrying out their work in a language they do not know is a complicated task. Even with bilingual education, many of them are at a crossroads where they must either sacrifice or simplify the content of their classes due to the obstacle of teaching in a language other than their own, as their way of expressing themselves differs.

Additionally, many teachers in this group who disagree with this educational model may feel excluded and even lose opportunities for advancement within the institution because they lack these skills. In contrast, bilingual teachers or teachers from other countries have an advantage over them.

Another argument against it is that some teachers have observed that, in institutions that promote student leveling (through extracurricular classes), when students of the same school grade can handle a second language, this can create social differences in classrooms, even leading to bullying on some occasions.

Moreover, not all educational institutions have bilingual education programs. This can mean marginalization for monolingual institutions. The lack of financial resources to hire people with this training or to train teachers in a different language creates a considerable gap between the two types of institutions. “In this way, we run the risk that bilingual education will be reduced to being the privilege of a few and not a right for all.” (García Carrión, 2021).

Family members have various reasons for opposing bilingual education. One that stands out is nationalist ideals, where parents or guardians fear that their children will be confused of where they come from in the long term, adopting other customs and “losing their true identity.” Another reason is that, for a long time, it has been believed that the academic load increases significantly when students take subjects in two or more languages, which could make it difficult for them to learn. Similarly, there is the idea that one language can hinder understanding of the other, implying that students wouldn’t be able to learn either language properly.

However, several studies have shown that learning one language does not interfere with learning another; rather, it complements the other language, providing students with a more comprehensive experience. A different language can even help consolidate the mother tongue, as learners interpret and relate the concepts learned in their own way, encouraging brain activity and skills such as critical thinking.

“Languages do not compete in mental structures, but are consolidated on a single basis, the human faculty of language. Moreover, learning through a second language enhances the development of the dominant language.” (Lorenzo et al., 2024).

Although institutions and individuals differ in their views on bilingual education and speaking two or more languages during students’ educational journey, bilingual education enhances learning. In addition to being a driver of an infinite amount of knowledge, it leads people towards a more empathetic and tolerant world.

Translation by Daniel Wetta

Mariana Sofía Jiménez Nájera

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This article from Observatory of the Institute for the Future of Education may be shared under the terms of the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0