What is Meant by a Bilingual Teaching and
Learning Methodology?
Cen Williams analysed different bilingual teaching and learning situa-
tions in further and higher education in the mid-1990s resulting in a staff
development booklet on teaching in a bilingual setting (Williams, 1994–
95; Williams, 2003b). On the one hand, it is possible to have a class of
bilingual students who are all able to study their courses bilingually
through the medium of Welsh and English; this is bilingual teaching and
learning which aims to develop the bilingualism of every individual in the
class. On the other hand, it could also be possible to have a class with some
bilingual (English and Welsh) students and some monolingual English
speakers. This can be classified as teaching and learning in a bilingual situation
or setting: ‘Teaching in a bilingual setting is [such a situation] where the
individual usually chooses to study a subject through the medium of one
language, and that is not synonymous with developing bilingualism’
(Williams, 1994–95: 4–5).
The differences between bilingual teaching and learning and teaching and
learning in a bilingual situation were clarified further in a project funded by
ESCalate in 2001–2 to look at bilingual teaching methods within Initial
Teacher Education and Training (ITET) courses in Welsh higher education
institutions (ESCalate, 2002):
The two main purposes of bilingual teaching are (i) being able to main-
tain provision in both languages by dealing with both mediums in the
same class, and (ii) developing the bilingualism of each student in the
group. It could be argued that the first facilitates administration,
whereas there is an educational reason for the second. The majority of
the bilingual teaching examples in higher education fall into the first
category.Bilingual teaching situations may be defined as those where:- the teaching materials are available in both languages
- there is an opportunity to discuss in both languages (either within
a small group or in a class situation) - assessment is possible in both languages
so that any individual student is able to follow the course (i) entirely
through the medium of Welsh (ii) entirely in English or (iii) is able to
complete some aspects through the medium of Welsh and some through
the medium of English. (ESCalate, 2002: 2-3)
The concept of creating classes where teaching and learning in a bilin-
gual situation would take place, with both English and Welsh being used as
Bilingualism in Higher Education 175