Theoretical aspects of providing bilingual education in the slovak republic

Abstract

(uk) В статті йдеться про особливості впровадження білінгвальної освіти в Словаччині. Зазначено типи білінгвальних навчальних програм, характерних у всьому світі, та розглянуто ті білінгвальні програми, які є характерними для словацьких навчальних закладів. Зроблено акцент на позитивних здобутках словацьких колег в сфері білінгвальної освіти.(ru) В статье рассмотрены особенности билингвального образования в Словакии. Указаны типы билингвальных учебных программ, известных во всем мире, а так же рассмотрены те программы, которые есть характерными для словацких учебных учереждений. Сделано акцент на позитивном опыте словацких коллег в сфере билингвального образования.(en) The research presented in this paper devoted to the specifically defined topic of bilingual education and its status in nowadays Slovakia. The article investigates several research aspects: how bilingual education is reflected in and saturated by the latest research findings, types of bilingual programs applied at Slovak bilingual schools, reflection of bilingual education in school legislation and state pedagogical documents, purposes of bilingual education in Slovakia. The information presented in the article was collected from multiple sources: state curriculum, statistical data published by the Slovak Ministry of Education or its partner institutions, international treaties onestablishing and supporting bilingual sections of schools, bilingual schools curricula, research studies etc. In the conclusion, bilingual education in Slovakia is identified as a unique, dynamically developing system, which has been significantly developing under the influence of the foreign language education policy promoted by the European Council as well as bears some specific characteristics, determined by its unique historical, political, and socio cultural contexts.Special attention is paid on the CLIL method, which has been successfully applied in Slovak schools as the attractive manifestation of bilingual education that represents the subject through two media thus, develops higher cognitive functions of learners.