Reflecting about bilingualism policies in non-English speaking countries in Latin America : The case of Colombia and Argentina

Blanca Lucía Cely Betancourt

Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios UNIMINUTO

Angie Daniela Urrutia Ramos

Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios UNIMINUTO

English has been considered the official language in many non-English speaking countries. In the case of Latin America, language policies have been included in most of the countries where English has been officialized as the foreign language and it is mandatory to teach it in educational contexts. Most countries are aiming for the formation of bilingual citizens and professionals with proficiency in English to meet the demands of globalization.

This article presents a reflection on the case of two countries that have implemented bilingualism policies such as Colombia and Argentina. These two countries have similarities in terms of policies and social, economic, geographic, and cultural factors, however, evaluating the level of English that each country has. It is shown a marked difference between the two. Argentina occupies the first place in the performance of communicative skills in English with a high level, while Colombia is in the last places and has been recognized as one of the countries with the lowest level.

Keywords: Communicative competences, bilingualism, bilingualism policies, educational policies
Published
2023-12-22
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https://plu.mx/plum/a/?doi=10.16925/2382-4921.2024.01.03