Comparing Bilingual and Monolingual Education Models in Bangor and London, UK

As part of an enrichment programme of the Malay Language BA(Ed) course, AAD40B Bilingual Learners and Bilingual Education, a group of eight student teachers and two lecturers went on an educational trip to Bangor and London, UK, during the Semester 1 recess week in Sep-Oct 2019.

In Bangor in North Wales, the group visited two schools, Ysgol y Garnedd and Ysgol Cae Top, learning about how these schools nurture Welsh-English bilinguals in a predominantly English setting through Welsh immersion and dual language instruction. The student teachers were also afforded the opportunity to meet two bilingual education experts at Bangor University for a discussion session, Prof Enlli Thomas and Dr Bryn Jones, whose work they read in the course. Earlier, they were met by student representatives of UMCB, Bangor University’s Welsh Students Union for a discussion about growing up bilingual in Wales and Singapore.

In contrast, in London, the group visited an English-medium school, South Harringay School, the majority of whose students come from non-English background. Highly successful with its EAL programme (English as an additional language), the school, however, does not provide for the learning of the students’ heritage language. They turn to complementary schools in the weekend for this. Our student teachers visited one of these schools, the Shpresa Programme set up for Albanian children. There, the children develop self-esteem and confidence through the learning of the Albanian language and culture, traits that are crucial if they are to be successful in their mainstream education and become contributing members of British society.

Singapore’s English-medium schools with the Mother Tongue as a subject lie somewhere between Bangor’s dual language schools and London’s monolingual schools. To what extent are Singapore schools successful in developing effective bilinguals? That was a topic that our student teachers discussed upon their return to Singapore.

Students singing at Ysgol y Garnedd, Bangor	Introducing Malay games at Ysgol Cae Top, Bangor

With Prof Enlli Thomas & Dr Bryn Jones, Bangor University	With representatives of Welsh Students Union, Bangor University

A pull-out lesson at South Harringay School, London	Exchanging gifts with Evis Bodlli, Dy Head, Shpresa Programme, London

Source: Educational Visit to Bangor and London, UK, 30 Sep - 5 Oct 2019