Discuss language use in bilingual and ESL programs. Include the various uses of L1 and L2, both on a long-term and week-to-week basis.

Bilingual education and ESL programs vary significantly with respect to the ways in which language is used in the classroom. Even the names of the two approaches reveal differences. Bilingual education incorporates both the student’s L1 and L2 into the classroom in meaningful ways, whereas ESL is generally concerned with L2 acquisition. In ESL programs, a student’s first language is not generally utilized as a teaching tool.

ESL programs are usually "pull-out" programs in which remedial instruction is provided in English to LEP students. These programs are intended to be transitional, where assistance is given to LEP students so that they can move to full-time instruction in English without the aid of a dedicated ESL "period."

A true bilingual program is a program that encourages and respects language and culture in both L1 and L2, and aims to produce a fully bilingual citizen. Here the first language of the student is emphasized and used in teaching, thereby retaining L1 while strengthening the student’s ability to gain in L2. ESL, on the other hand, does not generally offer instruction in both L1 and L2, thereby truncating the growth of L1. In a quality bilingual education program, a student’s sense of personal and cultural identity should be maintained and strengthened, and to a large part this is accomplished through the valuing of the student’s language and culture.

Bilingual education takes many different forms. Of those specifically mentioned in this course, are Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE), Maintenance Bilingual Education (MBE), and Two-way. TBE is a three year program where L1 vs L2 usage is 80%/20%, respectively, at the beginning, and at the conclusion the reverse is the case. This program, like ESL, is geared toward transitioning the student into the mainstream classroom. MBE and Two-way are both late exit programs, as they lengthen the three years TBE prescribes to five. MBE begins with the same ratio as TBE, but at the conclusion of the program, language use in L1 is still emphasized at 50%. This reflects the additional respect MBE gives to a developing L1. Two-way is the only program that incorporates the presence of mainstream students. In this program, up to 40% of the classroom may be mainstream students, and the goal is to arrive at the end of five years with a classroom of both LEP and mainstream bilinguals. Language is a valuable commodity in the Two-way classroom, as students benefit from the presence of others unlike themselves.

Use of L1 and L2 can vary inside the classroom. The "Flip-Flop" method was once widely used as a viable teaching tool. In this type of classroom, instruction would be given first in L2, then again in L1. Unfortunately, instead of learning by association, students were found to "tune out" L2 because they could receive all the necessary information in L1. Instruction by subject matter intends to spend "chunks" of time in a single language by studying a particular subject only in L2. Linguists assert that this assists language acquisition because it requires the learner to struggle in the new language. In this model, language is instrumental, as language understanding is required to learn the subject matter. AM-PM division is just as it sounds – the day is divided in half, with half the day instructed in L1, and the other half in L2. In a "by-day" program, classes are taught in L1 and L2 on a daily rotation; therefore, one week would have three days of instruction in L1, and the next would have two. In Preview-Lesson-Review, a preview of the lesson is given in L1, the lesson follows in L2, and a review session is given in L1.