The ‘problem’ of bilingual children in educational settings: policy and research in England

Abstract

Is language something to be ‘overcome’? In this discussion of education policy and research perspectives on bilingual children in England, the authors take as their starting point five questions about language diversity posed in 1973 by Dell Hymes. The authors review the history of mainstream school support for young bilingual learners in England and how policies and practices have contextualised the research agenda by framing bilingual learners in a monolingual curriculum and assessment structure. The authors consider how ethnographic studies in non-statutory, complementary schools and early years settings offer vantage points from which multilingualism is seen as a pedagogical resource rather than a problem. It is hoped that the discussion will prompt readers to consider the ‘problem’ of linguistic diversity in mainstream education wherever they are situated, and to consider what kinds of research methods would provide insights and solutions.

Keywords:

• early childhood education
• educational policy
• EAL
• ethnography
• primary school education
• research methodology

Notes

1. ‘First Language’ in the Census is defined as: ‘the language to which a child was initially exposed during early development and continues to be exposed to this language in the home or in the community’.

2. English as a Second Language. Schools now use the term EAL (English as an Additional Language) to characterise bilingual children.

3. As of 2011, there are no dedicated funds to support bilingual learners in schools in England. Schools can apply for a ‘pupil premium’ based on economic deprivation, with the sole qualifying measure being a child's eligibility for free school meals.