The Evolution of Bilingual Education in Monolingual Contexts: An Andalusian Case Study

Abstract

This chapter focuses on Andalusia (southern Spain) as a case study to illustrate the evolution of bilingual education in a setting with a firmly entrenched monolingual model. It will begin by expounding on the chief traits of the two plans which have bolstered bilingual education in this monolingual context –the Plan de Fomento del Plurilingüismo (Andalusian Plan for the Promotion of Plurilingualism) (2005) and the Plan Estratégico del Desarrollo de lasLenguas (Strategic Plan for the Development of Languages) (2017)-, tracing their origins and showcasing how they conform to the zeitgeist of broader European policies and regulations. It will then canvass prior investigations carried out into the way in which these plans have played out, according to the chief stakeholders involved. The bulk of the chapter will be devoted to reporting on the outcomes of a large-scale program evaluation which has just been conducted in this context via two governmentally-funded research projects into the way in which CLIL programs are currently working, according to the key players involved in their grassroots implementation. Data, methodological, investigator, and location triangulation are all employed to gauge language teachers’, content teachers’, and teaching assistants’ perspectives through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews in both Primary and Secondary education vis-à-vis L2 competence development, methodology, materials and resources, evaluation, coordination and organization, and teacher training and mobility. The outcomes will provide a comprehensive picture of where the process of implementation of CLIL programs currently stands in this monolingual context and to trace their evolution over the course of the past decade.