week 11 bilingualism and literacy

Ideally, it's definitely a positive opportunity in terms of bilingualism and literacy issues. Before meeting the recognized achievement, I would like to call it a process instead of a problem even in the U.S., an immigration country, it's an ever-existing scenario.

   This article corresponded to "The Threshold Theory". People could prove the bilinguals have more flexible use of wordings or expressions. Bilinguals make most of their language section in the brain activating all the times when they perfect their both languages.

   But how to define "bilingual"? Do they count reading, writing, speaking and listening, and comprehension in? What factors do influence the proficiency? How to cultivate successful readers no matter which language? In this article, the commissioned researchers tried to discover the essential causes.

   As they mentioned, awareness of sound is important to English learning, then the ability can affect their expansion of vocabulary, finally to assist their comprehension. This long process takes place the earlier the better. The "look-point-name" game can evolve to "face-to-face" language benefitting sign language as well. But, for English learners, the experienced teachers should understand the process of their native language acquisition and properly adjust the order/set of phonics learning, e.g. vowels before consonants rather than vice versa.  In addition, literacy reading is so important on its own and plays a crucial role in other subject areas.  The seasoned teachers should employ students' prior knowledge of the same topics and design meaningful literacy activities, vivid learning environment, and increase parental participation.

   It's a pity that in this article, the researchers couldn't provide adequate information in some dimensions, especially in early and late elementary level. It's crucial for teachers to grip the knowledge because schools/teachers shoulder some responsibilities for students' learning during these periods of time. If teachers can get the collective holistic view of bilinguals' learning process, it can yield well-designed lesson plans with qualified-reading approaches, and effective assessment. And with all research-based information, the policymakers can make more instrumental programs for teachers and districts.