Los programas de enseñanza bilingüe español-inglés en las Comunidades de Madrid y Castilla y León. Un estudio comparado

Abstract

[EN]There is currently a growing need for Bilingual Programmes in Spain due to a process of European integration and pressing globalization trends; these convergent factors have made the English language gain the status of today’s lingua franca not only in the European Union but also around the world. The different regional education administrations in Spain have made a great effort in establishing bilingual programmes in primary and secondary education. CLIL (Content Language Integrated Learning) is being implemented in mainstream schools but, even if all the regions follow the recommendation that students learn curricular content through an additional language, there are as many bilingual models as autonomous communities. As a result regional schemes are developing distinct characteristics and follow specific divergent courses of action. Thus, the various models differ significantly from one region to another. Within this framework this final year dissertation analyses and compares two contrasting bilingual schemes taking place in the bordering regions of the Community of Madrid and Castile and León. The inquiry and gathering of data regarding each one of the programmes have been conducted to determine which type of scheme is more effective. In order to do so I have looked at how the two programmes operate, the divergent legislation, the various requirements for schools to be eligible for the programme, the training of the teachers, the discordant treatment of the subject of English as a foreign language, the clashing number of language assistants, the dissimilar budgets, the evaluation of the students and the programme itself, as well as its implementation and results. In addition to making all these comparisons between the two programmes I offer some suggestions for improvement based on my own teaching experience in both of the bilingual programmes examined. In conclusion, I trust this information may help my fellow in-service professionals, scholars, politicians involved in education departments, parents and students interested in the field of bilingual education to gain a deeper insight of the bilingual schemes. It is my hope that they may also understand that when we speak about a bilingual school we need to situate it by knowing facts about its social context, how the programme is being implemented, and the regulatory law that sets its possibilities and limitations. Finally, I seek to raise awareness of conditions such as the provision of human and material resources and the availability of training programmes and assessment tools that, together with the eagerness and motivation of the teachers involved, may determine the degree of effectiveness and success of the bilingual policies at a regional level.