- Jim Cummins, a professor of education, postulated the Threshold Theory in 1979 to explain the relationship between bilingualism and cognition. The theory suggests bilingual development passes through identifiable levels and thresholds. It also promotes additive bilingualism, where literacy in both languages benefits cognitive development without negative effects. The theory serves as a reminder that students need proficiency in the language of instruction to access the curriculum.

1. THRESHOLD THEORY

2. JIM CUMMINS
• A PROFESSOR AT THE ONTARIO INSTITUTE FOR STUDIES
IN EDUCATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO WHERE
HE WORKS ON LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT AND LITERACY
DEVELOPMENT OF LEARNERS OF ENGLISH AS AN
ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE.
• BORN ON JULY 3, 1949
• HE POSTULATED THE THRESHOLD THEORY IN 1979

3. JIM CUMMINS
• HIS RESEARCH HAS FOCUSED ON THE NATURE OF
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AND SECOND LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE
SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL BARRIERS THAT LIMIT
ACADEMIC SUCCESS FOR CULTURALLY DIVERSE
STUDENTS.

4. WHAT IS THRESHOLD THEORY?
• CUMMINS’ THRESHOLD THEORY REVEALS THE
RELATIONSHIP OF THE FIRST LANGUAGE TO THE
LEARNING OF ANOTHER LANGUAGE.
• IT EXPLAINS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BILINGUALISM
AND COGNITION

5. WHAT IS THRESHOLD THEORY?
• THRESHOLD THEORY SUGGESTED THAT THE
DEVELOPMENT OF TWO OR MORE LANGUAGES IN
BILINGUAL PERSON MOVES UPWARD THROUGH
IDENTIFIABLE LEVELS, CROSSING TWO DISTINCT
THRESHOLDS IN BETWEEN LEVELS.

6. WHAT IS THRESHOLD THEORY?
• THIS THEORY ALSO WANT THE STUDENTS TO BE
LITERATE IN BOTH LANGUAGE AND BENEFIT FROM BEING
BALANCED BILINGUALS. THIS HYPOTHESIS IS CALLED
ADDITIVE BILINGUALISM ENRICHMENT PRINCIPLE.

7. ADDITIVE BILINGUALISM ENRICHMENT
PRINCIPLE
• THESE PRINCIPLE SAYS THAT BILINGUAL CHILDREN
EXHIBIT A GREATER SENSITIVITY TO LINGUISTIC
MEANINGS AND MAY BE MORE FLEXIBLE IN THEIR
THINKING THAN ARE MONOLINGUAL CHILDREN.

8. TYPES OF BILINGUALISM
1. SEMI BILINGUALISM
-KIDS ARE COMPETENT IN ONE LANGUAGE BUT NOT YET
ABLE TO TRANSFER SKILLS BETWEEN TWO LANGUAGES THAT
LEADS TO NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF BILINGUALISM
2. DOMINANT BILINGUALISM
-CHILDREN ARE ADEQUATELY COMPETENCE IN L2 FOR
THEIR AGE AND LEADS TO MINIMUM TO AVOID THE NEGATIVE
EFFECTS OF BILINGUALISM.

9. TYPES OF BILINGUALISM
3. ADDITIVE BILINGUALISM
-ALLOWS FOR POSSIBILITY OF POSITIVE COGNITIVE EFFECTS
THAT CORRESPOND TO THE AGE-APPROPRIATE LEVELS OF
COMPETENCY IN BOTH LANGUAGES.

10. SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN MTB-MLE
• IT SERVES A REMINDER THAT THE STUDENTS NEED TO
DEVELOP PROFICIENCY IN THE LANGUAGE SO THAT THEY
CAN GAIN ACCESS TO CURRICULUM. FURTHERMORE,
THIS THEORY REMINDS US THAT STUDENTS NEED
ACADEMIC LANGUAGE SKILLS OR THEY WILL SUFFER THE
NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF BILINGUALISM.