Volume: 21  Number: 1  Page: 21–38  doi:10.2167/lcc340.0

Bilingual Education in Navarre: Achievements and Challenges

Nekane Oroz Bretóna and Pablo Sotés Ruizb aDepartment of Philology and Language Didactics, The Public University of Navarre, Campus Arrosadia, Pamplona, Iruñea, Spain and bDepartment of Psychology and Pedagogy, The Public University of Navarre, Campus Arrosadia, Pamplona, Iruñea, Spain

This paper examines the impact of the Basque Law of 1986 on the status of Basque in schools in the Autonomous Community of Navarre. The sociolinguistic situation of Navarre is outlined, and changes in enrolment figures for the three principal language models (A, D and G) in infant and primary school in the different linguistic zones are examined from 1988/1989 to 2005/2006. It is argued that the linguistic zoning established by the Basque Law and the influence it has on the limitations to the teaching of Basque and through the medium of Basque exert a great influence on the social consideration of the language, its development in education and its potential to increase in the future. The attitudes of the population towards bilingual education in Basque are positive and the linguistic immersion model in this language is becoming an important reference. The teaching of foreign languages, mainly English, in Basque models is considered as a way towards multilingual education, while in Spanish models English has become a way to start bilingual education.

Keywords: Basque, bilingualism, bilingual education, Navarre

© 2008 N.O. Bretón & P.S. Ruiz

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