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Impact of bilingual education on student achievement

Author

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  • Aimee Chin

    (University of Houston, USA, and IZA, Germany)

Abstract

More than 4.4 million students enrolled in US public schools participate in English language learner programs because of linguistic barriers to learning in regular classrooms. Whether native language instruction should be used in these programs is a contentious issue. Recent studies, using credible research designs for estimating causal impacts, find that bilingual education programs (which use some native language instruction) and English-only programs are not significantly different in their impact on standardized test performance. This finding suggests that it is time to change the focus from use of the native language to program quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Aimee Chin, 2015. "Impact of bilingual education on student achievement," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 131-131, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:iza:izawol:journl:y:2015:n:131
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christopher Jepsen, 2010. "Bilingual Education and English Proficiency," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 5(2), pages 200-227, April.
    2. Chin, Aimee & Daysal, N. Meltem & Imberman, Scott A., 2013. "Impact of bilingual education programs on limited English proficient students and their peers: Regression discontinuity evidence from Texas," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 63-78.
    3. Angrist, Joshua D & Lavy, Victor, 1997. "The Effect of a Change in Language of Instruction on the Returns to Schooling in Morocco," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 15(1), pages 48-76, January.
    4. Ivlevs, Artjoms & King, Roswitha M., 2014. "2004 Minority Education Reform and pupil performance in Latvia," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 151-166.
    5. Katherine Eriksson, 2014. "Does the language of instruction in primary school affect later labour market outcomes? Evidence from South Africa," Economic History of Developing Regions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(2), pages 311-335, December.
    6. Ilyana Kuziemko, 2014. "Human Capital Spillovers in Families: Do Parents Learn from or Lean on Their Children?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 32(4), pages 755-786.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Ramachandran, Rajesh, 2017. "Language use in education and human capital formation: Evidence from the Ethiopian educational reform," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 195-213.
    2. Kelvin K. C. Seah, 2021. "Do you speak my language? The effect of sharing a teacher's native language on student achievement," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 88(1), pages 245-273, July.
    3. Liaqat Ali & Jianing Mi & Mussawar Shah & Sayed Jamal Shah & Salim khan & Kausar BiBi, 2017. "The Potential Socio-Economic Impact of China Pakistan Economic Corridor," Asian Development Policy Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 5(4), pages 191-198, December.
    4. Bernhofer, Juliana & Tonin, Mirco, 2022. "The effect of the language of instruction on academic performance," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    5. Bhatnagar, Abhishek & Jaiswal, Animesh & Jain, Ansh & Bolia, Nomesh B., 2022. "An analysis of key indicators for enhancing school performance: Evidences from India," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    6. Leighton, Margaret, 2022. "Mother tongue reading materials as a bridge to literacy," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    bilingual education; language of instruction; English as a second language; structured English immersion; limited English proficient students; English language learners;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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