ANSWER:

Dual Language immersion combines students from two language groups such as English and Spanish for instruction in both of their languages. Dual Language immersion programs aim for the following general goals:

• Students develop high levels of proficiency in their first language.
• All students develop high levels of proficiency in a second language.
• Academic performance for both groups of students will be at or above grade level.
• Academic content and standards are the same as other educational programs.

High quality Dual Language programs share the following features:

• The programs include fairly equal numbers of two groups of students: native English speakers and English language learners (ELLs).
• The programs are integrated.
• The programs provide both groups of students with core academic instruction in both languages.

Research on successful Dual Language programs are consistent in showing the following:

• ELLs who participate in programs that provided extended instruction through students’ native language outperform students who received short-term instruction through their native language.
• Students with high levels of bilingual proficiency exhibit elevated levels of academic and cognitive functioning in comparison to students with monolingual or low-bilingual skills.
• African American students achieve at much higher levels than their nondual language peers in achievement measured in English.

Additional Sources:

Center for Applied Linguistics, CAL, http://www.cal.org/.

Lindholm-Leary, K. (2007) Texas Dual Language Conference for Administrators. San Antonio, Texas.

1 Howard, E. R., Sugarman, J., Christian, D., Lindholm-Leary, K. J., & Rogers, D. (2007). Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.

2 Howard, E. R., Sugarman, J., Christian, D., Lindholm-Leary, K. J., & Rogers, D. (2007). Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.

3 Thomas, W.P., & Collier, V.P. (2012) Dual Language Education for a Transformed World. Albuquerque, NM: Dual Language Education of New Mexico.