Bidialectal Instruction
Bidialectal Instruction
Bidialectal Instruction refers to an educational direction that sees and assists the use of different dialects of a particular language by the students, especially in the context of multicultural and multilingual classrooms. The concept of this method is to boost the literacy skills of the students in a way that the home dialects they use are cherished whereas they are also instructed the standard dialect, thus, coming to an inclusive thinking and better academic achievements.
What is the main goal of Bidialectal Instruction?
The main target that Bidialectal Instruction wishes to achieve is to reach out to the students and gain their trust by the means of mirroring their cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and at the same time, giving them the tools to manage their languages. In this way, the students not only learn to speak the non-standard language more effectively but also acquire a valuable skill that enables them to use both the non-standard language and the standard language more effectively.
How does Bidialectal Instruction differ from traditional language instruction?
In contrast to the conventional language teaching that primarily promotes only the standard dialect, Bidialectal Instruction acknowledges and accepts various dialects as valid verbal languages. This technique is based on the idea of constructing the bridge between the students' home dialects and the standard language, thus, turn the linguistic diversity into a resource for learning, and not an obstacle.
What strategies are used in Bidialectal Instruction?
Bidialectal Instruction strategies involve the direct instruction about the discrepancy of dialects, the use of culturally relevant materials, and the integration of the students' home dialects into lessons. As an illustration, teachers may use dialect-representative texts of a particular student together with regular texts, so students could make comparisons and contrasts in language use and structure, thus, increase their fulfillment and fluency.
What are the benefits of implementing Bidialectal Instruction in classrooms?
The use of Bidialectal Instruction brings forth a variety of advantages, among which is the increase in student participation, the progress in reading and writing skills, and the strengthening of personal confidence that students experience. In this way, teachers, who respect the native languages of their students, expand the cultural space in the classroom and thus create conditions for academic success and language acquisition outside the classroom as a means of interaction.