Early Bilingual Education Moving Towards The Dual Language Immersion Program. An Upcoming Reality Also In Gjirokastra

Abstract

This article focuses on the issues of bilingual education in Gjirokastra, in the 9-year primary schools, as an important link in the process of foreign language learning by our children. Albania has quickly embraced the concept of early foreign language learning. A memorandum signed by the respective governments of Albania and Italy  in 2002 opened the way to a teaching process conducted in two languages, Italian and Albanian, in the upper cycle of the primary school and also in the high schools, so that half of the subjects would be taught in a foreign language. Through this paper we try to give our opinion why the implementation of this program of dual language immersion is necessary as an educational system based on pragmatic and functional concepts. The achievement of the dual language immersion program also in our schools, aims at a transmission of knowledge for a better internalization of the foreign language, and also at improving the perspectives of our students in the European labor market. The difficulties and the obstacles which might condition this process cannot diminish the advantages and benefits that the children studying in these schools where the teaching process will be conducted in two languages, will have over the children who will study a foreign language as a separate subject. The role of parents and  a highly qualified teaching staff are important factors in the success of this process.