The National Bilingual Program in Colombia had five key actions: improving schools, education for innovation/competitiveness, lifelong education, inclusive participation, and modernizing the education sector. The program aimed to improve English language learning across Colombia by establishing common standards, developing teachers, increasing access to education, and making progress towards international proficiency levels. However, it faced challenges like low English levels, lack of resources, and ensuring quality education across diverse regions.

1. NATIONAL BILINGUAL PROGRAM:
IMPROVING ENGLISH LANGUAGE
LEARNING AND TEACHING ACROSS COLOMBIA

2. Five Actions that
transformed education in
Colombia
Schools
Improvement
Education for
innovation and Permanent
competitiveness modernization of the
sector
Education
throughout life Inclusive
Participation

3. Five Actions that
transformed education in
Colombia
Schools Improvement
Education for
innovation and Permanent modernization of
the sector
competitiveness
Education
throughout life Inclusive
Participation
Pertinent education
as a priority for the
development of the
country, in a
regional, local and
globalized context.

4. Education for innovation and competitiveness
in preschool, primary, secondary and higher
education
Use of Media and Information
Communication Technologies
Labor related Competences
Bilingualism: Improvement of
communicative competences of English as a
foreign language along the educational
system

6. National Bilingual Program
Overall Goal
Colombian citizens will be able to communicate in English with
internationally comparable standards. This will contribute to the
insertion of the country in the processes of universal
communication, the global economy and cultural openness.
This project should help increase the level of competitiveness
and improve the quality of education
in Colombia.

7. ELT Policies and Actions
2005 - 2009
The National Bilingual Program has:
• adopted a common framework
• established goals for the ELT field
• diagnosed teachers’ and students’ needs
• developed national standards for English

8. ELT Policies
• developed a coherent evaluation system
• certified developed competences and levels
achieved
• developed a teacher development scheme
• verified progress and adjusted actions

9. Specific Goals
Basic Education
11th Grade Students: Intermediate level (B1)
English Teachers: High Intermediate (B2)
Higher Education
Future English Teachers: High Intermediate (B2+ C1)
Other university students: Intermediate level (B2)
Language Institutes
Language Programmes registered

10. Actions 2005-2009
The National Bilingual Program has…
• Involved 36/80 LEAs in regional bilingual programs
• Diagnosed language levels for 12,780/15,000 state
English teachers
• Offered development opportunities to 6,200
teachers in different levels (additional to regional
Primary and initiatives)
Secondary
• Advised on allocation of budget in the regions to
Education develop English programs and made suggestions
on how best to invest
• Supported regional pilot initiatives (state bilingual
schools in Manizales, Quindío, Armenia, Bogotá,
Valledupar, San Andrés, Barú, Barranquilla)

11. Some Regional Programs…
Montería
Bilingüe
Manizales
Bilingüe MedellÍn
City
Quindío
Bilingüe
Duitama
“Dialogando con el
mundo”
Neiva speaks
English
Bogotá
Valle
Bilingüe Bilingüe
Huila habla
Inglés
advanced
initial actions

12. The National Bilingual Program has…
• Diagnosed and supported 10 Language Teaching
Programs and proposed specific improvement action
plans
• Developed the Teacher Development Program (MEN
TDP) for school teachers, rooted in contextual factors
and Colombian diversity (15 universities & British
Higher Council)
Education
• Commissioned some public and private universities and
ASOCOPI to conduct research studies on different
aspects of bilingual education and ELT in Colombia
• Diagnosed teachers language levels in Technical and
Technological Colleges (1000 teachers) and offered
them development programs

13. The National Bilingual Program has offered…
New Support to
possibilities schools,
to English Academic
universities, support in
teachers and LEAs
Development ELT events
opportunities
abroad ...teachers the opportunity to see the
ELT profession
at the centre of the discussion
Language Media & ICT
and resources
methodology and training
courses Language Workshops
immersion on Standards
programs

14. Realities and Obstacles
1. The English Teacher
• Low English level
• Sophisticated teaching discourse vs Traditional/teacher centred
methodologies
• Lack of guidelines for helping students develop communicative competence
2. The learner
• Low English level
• High motivation towards learning English / Poor motivation towards the
English class
• Large classes
• Lack of resources
3. Local Education Authorities
• Misinterpretation of policies
• Short term policies
• Resources not well administered
• Lack of communication with universities and language institutes

15. Challenges…
• Expansion of the Project in the • Continuous academic
regions support to state school
• Implementation of the National teachers
Standards for English (Primary) • Support to ELT regional
• Working closer with SE to assure associations of teachers
quality of education • Offer professional
• Build strong networking development programs,
processes to widen the scope and based on needs analysis
reach of the project and context
• Consolidation of policies for • How to solve the teacher
Initial and In-service Teacher supply problem at primary
Development Programs level?
• Guidelines for bilingual • How to fulfil teacher
education development and training demands?
implementation in state • How to prepare future
schools language teachers competent
• Documentation and to face the country’s
communication of policies to demands?
provide for a better • How to go beyond good
implementation intentions at all levels?

16. Final Remarks
Only the collective and collaborative effort of MoE,
LEAs, universities, language institutes, private
bilingual schools, other educational entities and allies
from both public and private sectors can bring about
quality education and further social transformation.
The power to broaden the horizons of our children
is in our hands!

17. “Inglés para Todos”
www.colombiaaprende.edu.co/bilinguismo

18. General objective
To promote teaching and
learning English as a foreign
language through the use of
media and new information and
communication technologies on
the Ministry’s educational site:
“Portal Colombia Aprende”.
http://www.colombiaaprende.edu.co/bilinguismo

19. ::: Thanks!
• Jenny Mabel Rincón (ELT Consultant)
• jmrincon@mineducacion.gov.co
• Juan Carlos Grimaldo (Project Manager)
jgrimaldo@mineducacion.gov.co
Phone number (1) 222-2800 Ext. 2134