The Evolution of Bilingual Schools in Argentina

• Autores: Cristina S. Banfi, Raymond Day
• Localización: International journal of bilingual education and bilingualism, ISSN 1367-0050, Vol. 7, Nº. 5, 2004, págs. 398-411
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This paper sets out to provide a preliminary descriptive account of an important subsector of the Argentine education system: those schools locally known as 'bilingual schools' or ' colegios bilingües '. As the authors will show, the label 'bilingual' has, at times, been applied rather loosely to a number of institutions. For current purposes, the authors limit this description to those schools that aim to teach through the medium of two languages. These schools may be characterised both in terms of the shared features that set them apart from other schools in Argentina, and in terms of the distinctions among them, which make this a diversified sub-sector. The authors also argue that these schools have been transformed since they were first founded in the 19th century, evolving from what were originally Heritage Schools to Dual Language Schools and, ultimately, to a new form of Bilingual school that the authors label the 'Global Language School'. Finally, the paper surveys some recent trends within this sector and suggests avenues for further research.