Bilingual Education and Reading

The nature of the reading process is considered, especially in the light of its close dependence on a world model. The world model is significantly determined by the language a child learns; implications of bilingualism are sought for cognitive development. The determining factor for cognitive development is not so much bilingualism per se as the manner in which a 2nd language is acquired & the medium by which the principal stimulus to cognitive growth is given on entering school. Some implications of this model are cited for teaching reading in the FL classroom. In particular, oral language development is desirable before reading is attempted: "difficult" material, including literature, requires considerable development in the language & in its associated world model. Familiarization with the features of rhetoric & the culturally determined patterns of thought development that they mark is emphasized. L. Freer