Abstract
As the first work dedicated to the organizational aspects of bilingual education from the perspectives of the school leader, what makes Mehisto’s work original is that he considers the stakeholders individually and looks at the leadership implications of bilingual education for each. Based on a desire by Cambridge University Press to develop such a work, in association with the University of Cambridge International Exams, Mehisto has pooled his own experience plus an extensive literature review of other works in the field of bilingual education to write an effective guide that will be much appreciated by leaders who are new to bilingual schools.
This six-part guide begins with useful definitions of terms: bilinguals are individuals using two or more languages; bilingual education supports individuals in becoming or remaining bilingual, for example. In this way, Mehisto sets the foundations for discussions throughout the rest of the guide. However understandable the use of an agreed set of terms might be, some definitions may lead certain readers to conclude that the guide takes the singular view of principals in schools from a UK setting. If this was the intention, then it could have been made clear in the introduction. However, for unversed school leaders this section is a good reference point to revisit and to familiarize themselves with as they become accustomed to the concepts discussed throughout the guide.
This first part would have been an appropriate place for the discussion of ‘mother tongue’, perhaps linked to research of bilingual children and the advantages of becoming bilingual (Ovando et al., 2003; Thomas and Collier, 2003; Tokuhama-Espinosa, 2000). This is an especially important idea to explore and understand given that Mehisto is arguing the merits of a bilingual education. Mother tongue for a bilingual child may include two or more languages, particularly for children who have been raised bilingual rather than having acquired additional languages through formal education. The guide takes the view – perhaps for simplicity’s sake – that the mother tongue language will be the dominant and majority language of society. Exploring the perspectives and advantages for children who have been socialized through more than one language would have been valuable and constructive.
A key question for the use of this guide springs to mind immediately one opens it: why have a bilingual education in the first place? An overview is provided in the introduction that briefly explains the benefits of such an education, which includes increased mental flexibility, and improved inter-cultural skills and memory. These are well documented in the literature (Tokuhama-Espinosa 2000, 2003, 2008). A practical description follows, highlighting the main kinds of bilingual programmes seen in schools.
The chapter entitled ‘Planning and partners’ provides a checklist of considerations from the launch of a new programme, anticipating student and staff needs through to developing policies and vision. This is a methodical reference for the school leader, conscientious of covering all aspects of programme development and mindful of the inclusion of all stakeholders. However, from the point of view of a practical guide, it is not clear why Mehisto provides such an extensive list of stakeholders – literally three pages’ worth. It would have been perhaps more meaningful to have made use of this list through a discussion of implications for the school leader by using one or two examples to illustrate the relationship to developing and managing bilingual programmes in schools.
The following chapter on leadership provides pertinent information on how languages are developed, sound pedagogical practice and useful flow charts from ineffective to effective bilingual practice that can immediately be put to use in individual contexts. In keeping with the style of the guide, it would have been relevant here to explore in more depth the point of view of the school principal by developing a checklist of needs. For example, the training needs of the school principal could have been detailed, perhaps with reference to training programmes or major literature.
The final chapters relate to students, teachers and parents, providing a very pragmatic checklist of considerations for the school leader: contact and communication with peers, identifying challenges, finding new teachers and so forth. The section on students is particularly inspiring as it gives examples of how language development can be encouraged by describing actual classroom activities such as encouraging boys to draw and then to speak about their drawings.
As a checklist of ideas, with helpful definitions and descriptions, Mehisto has written a valuable and simple guide for the uninitiated school leader within the field of bilingual education. In addition, throughout the guide personal perspectives of principals from around the world provide convenient and concrete insights into the real world of managing bilingual programmes.