Colombian Education

Presented by

Daniela Rodriguez HernandezColombian Education Task 1August/2022

Introduction

In the following presentation an analysis is going to be made according to the following readings of unit 1: - "Baker, C (2001) Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism". Chapter 1 - "Mejía, A (2006). Bilingual education in Colombia: towards a recognition of languages, cultures and identities". In addition, the definitions and distinctions of the terms and expressions that are frequently used to describe the concept of what it is to be bilingual will be discussed. At the end you will find some relevant aspects and a conclusion on the analyzed topic.

Analysis of the readings

In the reading of "Bilingual education in Colombia: Towards a recognition of languages, cultures and identities", written by Mejía, he shows an interesting explanation about the importance of establishing a linguistic policy in Colombia, where all languages should have the same value and thus be able to enrich intercultural relations and help in the healthy development of individualism and help students' self-esteem to improve.In the reading of " Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism" written by Baker, is very important because it highlights the differences between monolingual, multilingual and bilingual among people. It also explains and exposes the great variety of possibilities to be able to refer to the linguistic capacity of each person; where people can be catalogued or recognized according to their linguistic competence, the level of acquisition and the corresponding use of it.

Definitions and distinctions

We found the following: - Bilingualism is a word to refer to a person using two languages and being able to communicate in those two languages. In Colombia it is widely used to refer to a person who speaks English and Spanish at the same time. - Elective bilinguals are individuals who choose to learn a new language. - Circumstantial bilinguals are people who seek the need to learn the language in order to survive in other countries. - Bilingual ability is the set of skills that are used to calculate language proficiency. These are: Listening, reading, speaking and writing.

- Passive bilingualism is when one understands a language by listening and reading, but is not able to speak and write it. - Semilingualism is to refer to a group of people who have little language and little creativity, and find it difficult to express emotions in both languages. - Multilingualism is a word to refer to a country that speaks more than 3 languages. - Monolingualism is a word that is used to refer to countries that only use the mother tongue, i.e. the main language.

Relevant aspects of the readings

In Baker's reading, he develops the concept of bilingualism and the different aspects of this term. The author took the concept of being bilingual and takes it to different perspectives, such as when a language is used, the age of the person, with whom it is used, and the acquisition of that language. Although the chapter does not give a clear conclusion with the author's final definition of the subject, what it does leave us with is the information to have an idea of what bilingualism is.In Mejía's reading, the development of the topic focuses more on the political issues of Colombia, but there is an important topic and it is that of the native languages in Colombia and why they are not taken into account as bilingualism and multilingualism that the country manages.

Conclusion

Education is an essential process in a person's life and is fundamental to a student's future. Learning a new language generates changes and actions at a personal level within the social environment and it will not only be now but in the near future.We must not forget that Colombia is a multilingual country and the native languages of Colombia cannot be ignored and cannot be overshadowed by English, they also deserve importance. In my opinion I agree with both texts that explain the issues in a clear way.

Referencias

Baker, C. (2001). Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism: Vol. 3rd ed. Multilingual Matters. pp. 2-16. https://bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=90953&lang=es&site=eds-live&scope=siteMejía, A. (2006). Bilingual Education in Colombia: Towards a Recognition of Languages, Cultures and Identities. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, (8), 152-168. https://revistas.udistrital.edu.co/index.php/calj/article/view/176

¡Gracias!