LIN8017 Bilingualism and Bilingual Education (FOEDU)

Units 1.0 (English as a SecLangTeach) Band 5

State law in Queensland (Australia) requires that all adults working/undertaking professional experience/researching with children under the age of 18, in the state of Queensland are required to possess a current suitability card (Blue Card). (See "Other Requirements" for further information.) Also see: http://www.childcomm.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/informationSheets.html.

Synopsis

Teachers who are involved in language teaching, whether they are teaching first or second languages are generally not aware of the psycholinguistic, socio-psychological and educational issues involved in bilingualism. This course looks at bilingualism from these three main angles (1, psycholinguistic, 2, socio-psychological and 3, educational) and covers the following topics: definitions and typologies of bilingualism, the measurement of bilingualism, the psycholinguistic aspects of bilingual language acquisition and language processing, code-switching, bilingualism and cognition, types of bilingual education. Relevant theories and implications are discussed both in the majority as well as in the ethnolinguistic minority contexts. This course has a strong psycholinguistic focus.