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The National Bilingual The National Bilingual Program facing the futureProgram facing the future

Ricardo Romero MedinaRicardo Romero MedinaAndean RegionAndean Region

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PlanPlan NBP: Is English a threat for NBP: Is English a threat for

minority languages?minority languages? A global context for languages and A global context for languages and

language policylanguage policy A national context: What is A national context: What is

happening nowhappening now Trends in the worldTrends in the world Considerations for the future of Considerations for the future of

“bilingual” programs“bilingual” programs

NBP: Is English a threat for NBP: Is English a threat for minority languages?minority languages?

What is language deathWhat is language death Why do languages dieWhy do languages die What needs to be doneWhat needs to be done

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What is language death.What is language death. 6796 languages*6796 languages* Year 2100 less than Year 2100 less than

20002000 5% of the languages are 5% of the languages are

spoken by 95% if the spoken by 95% if the world’s populationworld’s population

5% of the population 5% of the population speaks 95% of the speaks 95% of the languages of the world.languages of the world.

*Crystal, Language Death, 2000.*Crystal, Language Death, 2000.

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Is it a problem of numbers?Is it a problem of numbers?

When is a language endangered?When is a language endangered? When is a language dead?When is a language dead? How many speakers are needed?How many speakers are needed? Where is the language spoken?Where is the language spoken?

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Why do languages die?Why do languages die?

Factors that put the people in Factors that put the people in physical dangerphysical danger Natural disastersNatural disasters Destruction of habitat Destruction of habitat

(Desertification)(Desertification) Imported diseasesImported diseases Political problemsPolitical problems

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Political problemsPolitical problems

The disappearance of several The disappearance of several languages in Colombia has languages in Colombia has been attributed to a mixture of been attributed to a mixture of aggressive circumstances… aggressive circumstances… Some thirty languages have Some thirty languages have become extinct since the arrival become extinct since the arrival of Spanish”. Crystal, David. of Spanish”. Crystal, David. 2000.2000.

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Factors which change the Factors which change the people’s culture (assimilation)people’s culture (assimilation)

Language submersionLanguage submersion Population sizePopulation size Domination by smaller groupDomination by smaller group

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Dominant language

Dominated language

Dominant – dominated Dominant – dominated languages in Colombialanguages in Colombia

Questions to keep in mind:Questions to keep in mind: What is the status of English as What is the status of English as

a dominant language? What a dominant language? What does it represent?does it represent?

What is the status of Spanish in What is the status of Spanish in Colombia?Colombia?

What is the status of aborigine What is the status of aborigine languages in Colombia?languages in Colombia?

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WHAT IS HAPPENING WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD?IN THE WORLD?A GLOBAL CONTEXT A GLOBAL CONTEXT FOR LANGUAGES FOR LANGUAGES AND LANGUAGE AND LANGUAGE POLICY POLICY

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The rise and fall of learners The rise and fall of learners D.GraddolD.Graddol

A massive increase in the number of people learning A massive increase in the number of people learning English has already begun, and is likely to reach a peak English has already begun, and is likely to reach a peak of around 2 billion in the next 10-15 years. Numbers of of around 2 billion in the next 10-15 years. Numbers of learners will then decline.learners will then decline.

Widening of student age and Widening of student age and needneed

Over the next Over the next decade there decade there will be a will be a complex and complex and changing mix of changing mix of learner needs. learner needs. More children More children will register to will register to learn Englishlearn English

Irreversible trend in Irreversible trend in international studentsinternational students The recent The recent

decline in decline in international international students students studying in the studying in the main English main English speaking speaking countries is countries is unlikely to unlikely to reverse.reverse.

Irrelevance of native speakersIrrelevance of native speakers

Native-speaker norms are Native-speaker norms are becoming less relevant as becoming less relevant as English becomes a English becomes a component of basic education component of basic education in many countries.in many countries.

The doom of monolingualismThe doom of monolingualism

Monolingual English speakers Monolingual English speakers face a bleak economic future face a bleak economic future and the barriers preventing them and the barriers preventing them from learning other languages from learning other languages are rising rapidly.are rising rapidly.

Growth of languages on the Growth of languages on the internetinternet

The dominance of The dominance of English on the English on the internet is declining. internet is declining. Other languages, Other languages, including lesser-including lesser-used languages, are used languages, are now proliferating.now proliferating.

Retraining needed for English Retraining needed for English specialistsspecialists

Specialist English teachers will Specialist English teachers will need to acquire additional skills need to acquire additional skills as English is less often taught as English is less often taught as a subject on its own.as a subject on its own.

CLILCLIL Global issuesGlobal issues PsychologyPsychology otherother

The end of English as a The end of English as a Foreign LanguageForeign Language

COLOMBIA.COLOMBIA.WHAT IS HAPPENING WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW?NOW?

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The National Bilingual The National Bilingual ProgramProgram

Is there a “program”?Is there a “program”? The role of the Ministry of The role of the Ministry of

EducationEducation Defining policyDefining policy Adopting/creating standardsAdopting/creating standards AssessingAssessing Evaluating qualityEvaluating quality

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The “actual” executionThe “actual” execution

Local Educational Authorities Local Educational Authorities (Secretarías)(Secretarías)

UniversitiesUniversities Language InstitutesLanguage Institutes SchoolsSchools TeachersTeachers DO WE NEED TO REGISTER DO WE NEED TO REGISTER

TO PARTICIPATE?TO PARTICIPATE?

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Tareas de las Secretarías de Tareas de las Secretarías de EducaciónEducación

Control de procesos de calidadControl de procesos de calidad Convocantes en procesos de Convocantes en procesos de

bilingüismobilingüismo Administradores de recursosAdministradores de recursos Evaluadores de impactoEvaluadores de impacto Promotores de foros de Promotores de foros de

socializaciónsocialización Apertura al nuevo talento!!!Apertura al nuevo talento!!!

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UniversidadesUniversidades

Revisión y registro calificado de Revisión y registro calificado de sus programas de licenciaturasus programas de licenciatura

Vinculación de egresados con Vinculación de egresados con su Alma Matersu Alma Mater

Generador de líneas de Generador de líneas de investigacióninvestigación

Extensión académica en áreas Extensión académica en áreas de metodología y docenciade metodología y docencia

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Institutos de idiomasInstitutos de idiomas

Registro de programas de Registro de programas de calidad (Dec. 3870)calidad (Dec. 3870)

Promoción de la enseñanza del Promoción de la enseñanza del inglés en todos los nivelesinglés en todos los niveles

Coordinación con Secretarías y Coordinación con Secretarías y UniversidadesUniversidades

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Escuelas y colegiosEscuelas y colegios

Diagnóstico del estado actualDiagnóstico del estado actual Nivel de inglés de los docentesNivel de inglés de los docentes Nivel de inglés de los estudiantesNivel de inglés de los estudiantes Metodologías utilizadasMetodologías utilizadas MaterialesMateriales

Administración de pruebas Administración de pruebas validadas internacionalmentevalidadas internacionalmente

CUIDADO con la implementación CUIDADO con la implementación de planes de “bilingüismo”de planes de “bilingüismo”

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Mi escuela = escuela Mi escuela = escuela bilingüe?bilingüe?

Proyecto Educativo InstitucionalProyecto Educativo Institucional Necesidades del entornoNecesidades del entorno Capacidad real instaladaCapacidad real instalada Talento humano necesarioTalento humano necesario Recursos disponiblesRecursos disponibles

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Inglés – Español – Lenguas Inglés – Español – Lenguas nativasnativas Trabajo interdisciplinario para catalogar, Trabajo interdisciplinario para catalogar,

determinar nivel y factores de riesgodeterminar nivel y factores de riesgo Trabajo interinstitucional (Ministerios) Trabajo interinstitucional (Ministerios)

para incidir en aspectos de calidad de para incidir en aspectos de calidad de vida de los hablantesvida de los hablantes

Trabajo de sensibilización nacional para Trabajo de sensibilización nacional para mejorar la actitud frente a las lenguas mejorar la actitud frente a las lenguas aborígenesaborígenes

Asignación de recursos para Asignación de recursos para investigacióninvestigación

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El proceso histórico…El proceso histórico…

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Lo que debemos promoverLo que debemos promover

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Es esto posible?Es esto posible?

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Objetivo…Objetivo…

Convivencia saludableConvivencia saludable NO confrontaciónNO confrontación Promoción de identidadPromoción de identidad Promoción de la comunicación Promoción de la comunicación

internacionalinternacional Inglés para minorías lingüísticas Inglés para minorías lingüísticas

= perspectiva del derecho a = perspectiva del derecho a aprender otras lenguasaprender otras lenguas

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Finalmente, las tareas…Finalmente, las tareas…

El docente como el centro de El docente como el centro de todo proceso de bilingüismotodo proceso de bilingüismo Dominio del idiomaDominio del idioma Desarrollo pedagógicoDesarrollo pedagógico

Uso adecuado de recursos Uso adecuado de recursos públicos y privadospúblicos y privados

Sostenibilidad (el proyecto Sostenibilidad (el proyecto sigue, las personas cambian…)sigue, las personas cambian…)

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El centro del procesoEl centro del proceso

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Ricardo.Romero@oup.comRicardo.Romero@oup.com

Muchas graciasMuchas graciasThanks a lotThanks a lot

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