ABSTRACT
National Education Commission of Sri Lanka recommended bilingualism to make the learner proficient in English to cope with higher education and career opportunities. This study investigates the content and process standards of bilingual education at the junior secondary level, with special emphasis on the English language curriculum in grades 6–11, in facilitating Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). It also attempts to illustrate how the curricular standards of bilingual education and the uneven distribution of provisions may disadvantage some groups of students. The study, following a mixed-mode research design, focussed on a purposive heterogeneous sample of schools to explore the teaching-learning of ESL and the teaching of content in bilingual education. An action research project was done to study the impact of the use of CLIL by second language and bilingual teachers. The content standards and process standards of teaching English as a second language curriculum are not rich in facilitating second language skills of the monolingual and bilingual learners. One reason for this drawback is the absence of partnership among key stakeholders involved in ESL education and bilingual education. Policies should be formulated and implemented to ensure a partnership among key stakeholders.
