The use of first and second languages in primary education : selected case studies.

Abstract

This paper addresses the question of the best choice of language as the initial language of instruction for the child in primary school in a multilingual society. The paper reviews eight case studies in seven countries. It compares achievement in reading and language in the second and first language, and achievement in content subjects, especially arithmetic. On the basis of these studies, it is concluded that there is no one best answer to the question of which language to choose. The answers must be found on a case-by-case basis. They depend on the interrelated characteristics of each situation, including the cognitive and linguistic development of the child in his first language, the attitudes of parents towards the language chosen for the school, and the status of the languages in the wider community. In terms of these characteristics, situations are described where the best choice for initial instruction might be the child's second language, and where it might be the first language.

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