| Summary: | The artide discusses realias related to bilingual education. Lithuanian and foreign experience, accumulated while striving for establishment of sustainable education system, applying the most effective models of bilingual education, which are capable of meeting needs to develop language skills of various national minorities, including those of pre-school children is generalized in the context of bilingual education. The results of research. In the sphere of teaching Lithuanian there has recently occurred a possibility for radical changes not only in the perception of teaching the Lithuanian language as a mother tongue, but also to establish a system of teaching the state language in kindergartens and schools for non-Lithuanian children. Such changes are resulted in by spread of ideas of multicultural education in the world. All over the world the problem of bilingualism is solved applying a number of various solutions; however, whatever decision is applied, the focus is always laid on an individual and his/her needs. Possibilities for optimalisation of bilingualism as a phenomenon are directly affected by an education policy of a particular country, whereas the choice of model for bilingual education is influenced by an attitude of education institution to bilingualism or multilingualism, which exist in reality. A variety of content of models is conditioned by needs of a particular community, goals set by an education institution and resources available. Lately a new approach to a child and language teaching has been observed in Lithuania. Early bilingualism is perceived as an important social, multicultural and educational phenomenon, which requires an appropriate response and professionally prepared teaching programmes and methodologies Vytauto Didžiojo universitetas Švietimo akademija
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