Bilingualism or not? Exploring the relationship between bilingualism and academic achievement.

One of the biggest decisions any parent or whānau can make is what school they should send their children to. When their child is bilingual, or their whānau wishes them to become so, there are even more issues to consider. Is bilingualism an advantage? Is immersion/bilingual education effective? Will my child more likely succeed in so-called mainstream (English-medium) education or in Māori-medium education? If I do put my children into Māori-medium education, or any other form of bilingual education, what are the implications for acquiring English literacy and wider academic success? In this presentation I address all these issues, drawing on my work nationally and internationally in bilingual/immersion education over the last 30 years. I will highlight what the research evidence consistently tells us and address widespread misunderstandings about bilingualism, learning and achievement that are still held, not only by parents, but also teachers and policy makers, in Aotearoa New Zealand today. University of Auckland's International Speaker Series: 20th September 2017 in the Whangarei Central Library, 6pm - 7pm

Prof Stephen May, Professor in Te Puna Wānanga (School of Māori and Indigenous Education) in the Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland

20/09/2017 6:00:00 AM