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1540
Colonial and Independence Periods: Latin-Spanish Bilingualism
colonial period many schools and universities were set in the Nuevo Reino de GranadaThese institutions taught, mainly, males from wealthy Spanish families to read, write, and recite religious tracts in Latin. Latin was used as a means of instruction and was also studied, while Spanish was sometimes used as a means of instruction, but was not studied.
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Post-Independence Period: Spanish-French and Spanish-English Bilingualism
One of the policies, launched in 1826, proposed to teach in primary and secondary schools Spanish, Latin, Greek, French, English, and one indigenous language, the one most spoken in the region where the school was located (Bonilla Carvajal & Tejada-Sánchez, 2016; Briceño, 1995). Although the policy was well-intentioned, it was never implemented (Bonilla Carvajal & Tejada-Sánchez, 2016)
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Post-Independence Period Francisco de Paula Santader
Created a system of primary education that consisted of establishing a school for every community of more than 30 families. These schools aimed to teach reading, writing, arithmetic, human rights, sciences, arts, religion, and philosophy. Instruction of Latin and in Latin continued taking place in almost every school of the country.
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General low of education
Between 1951 and 1993, more hours were assigned to English because of the worldwide relevance that this language gained after the Second World War (L. González, 2010). In the Colombian context, in 1994, the General Law of Education (Law 115) gave schools the right to teach only one foreign language (L. González, 2010). This provoked most Colombian schools to select teaching
only English due to the international dynamics that were taking place (L. González, 2010). -
Colombian Foreign Language Bilingualism Plans and Policy
From 2004 to 2016 a national bilingualism law and four national bilingualism plans were launched in order to regulate the English language instruction in the country. The new policy and plans have aimed to increase the competitiveness of Colombian citizens so that they can participate in international dynamics by speaking English (MEN, 2014b). Subsequently, each plan and Law 1651 are explained in chronological order. -
National Plan of Bilingualism 2004-2019
the PNB had three lines of action: Firstly, the ethno-education consisting of providing indigenous communities with bilingual education in their aboriginal language and Spanish; secondly, the inclusion of flexible models of education in order to regulate the teaching of foreign languages in the “education to work and human development”; And thirdly, the improvement of the communicative competence in English in the public and private schools and universities of the country -
Program for Strengthening the Development of Competences in Foreign Languages 2010-2014
The MEN states that the aim was to help Colombian citizens develop communicative competencies in foreign languages, emphasizing English, in order to favor the insertion of Colombian human capital into the global knowledge economy and the international job market. With this aim in mind, the program focused on the articulation of four aspects, namely, teachers training and professional development, pedagogical aspects, follow-up and evaluation, and institutional strengthening -
Law of Bilingualism (Law 1651 of July 12th, 2013)
Law 1651 of 2013 gave a more relevant role to the acquisition of a foreign language in all levels of education in Colombia (elementary, secondary, high school, EDTDH, and higher education) prioritizing the teaching of English in the public educational institutions of the country without disregarding the wide variety of indigenous languages spoken in the national territory. -
Bilingual Colombia 2014-2018
The PNI the program was re-structured the new program aims to achieve by 2018 that 35% of the Colombian eleventh graders from the public sector attain a B2 level, and 8% reach an A1 level. The program pursues this by means of the following strategies:continue with the diagnosis and training of teachers in language and
methodologies.only B2 teachers will be hired in the public schools, and native speakers of English will teach in 9th, 10th and 11th grades. -
National Plan of English: Colombia Very Well! 2015-2025
in 2025, 50% of 11th graders achieve a B1 English level. The plan also aims the English education at the university level and in productive sector.-continue with the diagnosis and training of teachers in language and teaching skills.-support the inclusion of a minimum of three hours per week in secondary education and half an hour per week in primary education in all the public schools.- provide schools with technology, and virtual tools, that promote English language learning