A Comparison of Students’ Spanish Language Performance at Bilingual and Monolingual Schools in Colombia

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 4:55 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Unveiling the Complexity of Bilingual and Biliteracy Development: Quantitative Perspectives (Table 1)

Abstract

Although bilingual education has become widespread in Colombia today, the effects and implications of Spanish and English language skills acquired in such programs have hardly been questioned. This study analyzed the Spanish and English proficiency of bilingually and monolingually educated students, using data provided by ICFES standardized battery test Saber 11 at the end of high school and at the end of college. The study sought to determine if there was a significant difference between Spanish and English language proficiency levels for bilingual students, compared to students from monolingual schools. The results showed that, when controlling for SES, students from bilingual schools outperformed students from monolingual schools in both the Spanish and English language on Saber 11 and Saber Pro.

Author

• Lida Castro, The Pennington School