Common Underlying Proficiency

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Baker (2011) writes that what Cummins considers essential in the bilingual education of ELLs is that the ‘Common Underlying Proficiency’ be well developed either in the first or second language, or in both languages simultaneously.
According to Baker (2011), the distinction between social and academic language has been influential and valuable for policy development, provision and practice in areas such as instruction and assessment. However, Cummins’ theory to distinguish between social and academic language has been criticized by several researchers (Ovando & Combs, 2012). MacSwan and Rolstand (2003) are concerned that by theorizing a distinction between social and academic language the latter could be favored. Ovando and Combs (2012) explain that the implication of making the distinction between the types of language may lead to thinking that academic proficiency can be attained only at school, and not through home or family discussions. Another critique of Cummins’ theory is noted from Aukerman (2007) who questions the utility of this language distinction for teachers of ELLs since we should not blame their academic struggles on their lack of mastery of the correct type of language.
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According to Ovando & Combs (2012) bilingual education cannot be considered as a single uniform program nor seen as a consistent methodology to teach ELLs, but rather as an approach that involves a variety of programs that might pursue different linguistic goals. Baker (2011) notes that the term bilingual education is a “simplistic label for a complex phenomenon” (p. 207). Baker (2011) maintains that there is a difference between classrooms in which instruction promotes bilingualism through the use of two languages and classrooms in which there are bilingual students instructed through basically monolingual education in a second

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