The development of Dutch and English language proficiency in students of Dutch bilingual secondary schools. Evidence from the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the Oxford Placement Test.

Abstract

This study focused on the development of Dutch and English language proficiency of students at a Dutch bilingual secondary school, as measured by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the Oxford Placement Test. The study was conducted at a secondary school offering both bilingual and mainstream monolingual education on the pre-university level. Students were tested yearly over the course of three years. The main findings of this study can be summarized as follows. First, both the monolingual and bilingual groups progress in their English language learning, with the students following bilingual education reaching a higher level of English. Second, we can conclude that following a Dutch-English education did not negatively affect the participants’ Dutch language proficiency nor their exam results in Mathematics. When correcting for CITO score, bilingual students score on the same level as monolingual students for the PPVT-NL and their Dutch and Mathematics final exams.