Bilingualism in the teaching of science subjects in Junior Lyceums at Form One level

Abstract

A very important factor determining a teacher's effectiveness is that the teacher knows the current capabilities of the learners he faces. Only then can he I she guide them from the known into the unknown. The progressive view of the teacher as a facilitator of learning and the trend to personalise further an individual's education makes this factor more crucial towards succesful teaching. The bilingual situation in Malta, although taken for granted by many, requires further investigation. Every teacher must be aware of his I her students linguistic abilities before trying to venture further in the learning process. An insight into the language used by the students themselves at school would be of great help. The teaching of technical subjects provides an interesting situation on the bi-lingual situation in Malta. The teacher has to use a language that the pupils feel confident with, but has to use English because of limitations in technical vocabulary and the availability of specialised textbooks. The study being proposed will focus on the bi-lingual level of students in Form I. Do students use one language in preference to the other because they feel they cannot express themselves well in the other? An attempt will be made to try to identify how students of the same age group differ in their bilingual competence, and an attempt will be made to give reasons for this.