online homeschool programs

In today’s interconnected world, the ability to communicate effectively in multiple languages is becoming increasingly important. Hence there are many online homeschool programs that have been introduced and provided to students in the past decades, which gives them an opportunity to become bilingual, bi-literate, and bicultural. This article will explore what dual language education programs are, their benefits for children, and how they work.

What Do You Understand By A Dual Language Education Program?

A dual language education program is basically an approach in education whose motive is to provide instruction in two languages to the students. The main goal of this approach is to help the students to develop bilingualism and biliteracy skills as well as an appreciation for other cultures.

Among the various ways to implement this education program, the 50-50 model is the most commonly practiced in schools so that the students can receive instruction in both languages for an equal amount of time.

In a bilingual education program, students who are native speakers of two different languages are paired together so that they can learn from each other. The curriculum of the course and the language of instruction are rotated so that each group receives instruction in their native language and the other language.

For example, in a French-English dual language program, native speakers of French will receive instruction in French for half of the day and then in English for the other half. The same instruction method goes with native English speakers.  

How Does A Bilingual Education System Work In Practical Life?

In a dual language program, students are divided into two groups, both of which are native speakers of two different languages and belong to two different cultural backgrounds. The teachers associated with the program are highly educated and are typically bilingual and bicultural, and they work together to plan lessons and ensure that the curriculum is being taught in both languages.

The two groups of students are taught separately for half of the day and then switched classes for the second half. For example, in the first half, both groups receive instructions in their native language, and after lunch, the groups would switch so that the students will receive instruction in the second partner language that they have chosen.

Top 5 Benefits Of Dual Language Education Programs

Dual language education programs provide several benefits for both native and non-native speakers of a language. Here are a number of primary benefits:

1] Bilingualism And Biliteracy

Students associated with dual language education programs become bilingual and bi-literate, i.e., they can understand, speak, read, and write in two different languages at a time. This is a valuable skill in today’s global society as such students have higher scopes and opportunities in the future. Being bilingual and bi-literate also opens up many job opportunities in fields such as international business, translation, and education.

2] Higher Academic Achievement

The students who partake in dual language bilingual education perform better academically as well as socially than their peers who are not in such programs. Since the curriculum of the course is designed in such a way that the students can gain additional skills as well as grow academically as per the state government education norms. Bilingual students have been shown to have higher reading and math scores and to perform better on standardized tests.

3] Improved Cognitive Skills

It has been researched and found that students who learn a second language have been showing greater improved cognitive skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity as compared to those who do not attend dual language programs. Hence, this language education program can help students develop these skills, as they are constantly switching between two languages and are exposed to different cultures.

4] Appreciation For Other Cultures

The students who are associated with the dual language program are incorporated with an appreciation for the culture of the language they are learning. It is seen that the students are open-minded, are more tolerant of the situations around them, and can adapt to their surroundings quickly. Such students develop empathy, show respect, and have a better understanding of the people and communities that belong to different backgrounds and cultures.

5] Improved Job Prospects

Being bilingual and bi-literate can also lead to better job prospects in the future. In recent years the demand for bilingual candidates has notably increased for various job profiles such as human resource manager, national customer service, flight attendant, marketing manager, and many more. In a globalized economy, many employers are looking for employees who can speak multiple languages and are familiar with different cultures as it helps in better performance of the company.

Conclusion

Bilingual or dual language education programs benefit the native and non-native speakers of two different languages in many ways and help them to develop additional knowledge and practical skills. Two types of students are brought together and put in a class so that they can help each other understand things better and remove the communication barrier that happens because of languages.

Because the course is getting popular and is highly recommended, there are many online schools that provide a home schooling platform for students to access the courses from home. They can learn and gain knowledge according to their own preference and flexibility without compromising their comfort.

By Anurag Rathod

Anurag Rathod is an Editor of Appclonescript.com, who is passionate for app-based startup solutions and on-demand business ideas. He believes in spreading tech trends. He is an avid reader and loves thinking out of the box to promote new technologies.