The nature of dual-language programs

[Miriam E Ebsworth]

Here's a similar but  not quite identical take on the dual language program issue.

As I understand it, the broadest term is bilingual education- used with any reasonable distribution of L1 and L2 leading to bilingualism in the learners.

When programs started in which native L1 and L2 speakers were to learn together, they were originally called two way bilingual programs. BUT for political reasons these programs have more recently been referred to as dual immersion or dual bilingual programs.

Many structures are possible for dual programs- what they have in common is the goal of having native speakers of 2 languages acquire the opposite language while developing academic competence in their own.

There is an extensive literature on the many alternative ways this can be brought about. Donna Christianson's (CAL) work over the years has documented much of this. Rebecca Freeman's text on Oyster School (Multilingual Matters) in an in-depth study of one successful approach to dual language education. In this case both English dominant and Spanish dominant teachers provide models for and instruction in each language, and an environment is created in which there is respect for cultural values and knowledge of all communities.


The success of dual language programs has also been well documented. See the work of Virginia Collier and her associates comparing alternative approaches with English Language Learners. As with all data on programs for ELL's- the data is meaningful ONLY if the programs really do teach 2 languages (labels can be misleading) and if students who are evaluated have actually gone through the programs over time rather than dropping in and/or out. Shelley Rappaport's recent report on ELL programs in New York City provides evidence for this.

I'd be interested in additional thoughts from the group!


Miriam Eisenstein Ebsworth, Ph.D.
<MEE1 at nyu.edu>
Director of Doctoral Programs in Multilingual Multicultural Studies
(TESOL and Bilingual Education)
New York University,635 East Building
239 Greene St., New York, NY 10003


----- Original Message -----
From: Kevin Rocap <krocap at csulb.edu>
Date: Wednesday, October 6, 2004 12:00 pm
Subject: Re: The nature of dual-language programs

> Dear R. A.,
>
> Let me try. ;-)
>
> Properly speaking a "dual language program" should refer to any
> program
> in which at least two languages are used for instruction across
> the
> subject matter areas, regardless of the language background of
> students
> in the school.  The goal is for all students to become bilingual,
> by
> formally learning to speak, listen, read, write and comprehend in
> each
> language, and by learning academic content through each language
> (in an
> appropriately structured way).
>
> That said, I believe Carmen (who is Carmen Farina, by the way, not
> Carmen Faria as the article states), is referring to a a specific
> type
> of dual language program, that is, a Two-Way Bilingual Immersion
> program.
> In a Two-Way Bilingual Immersion program you want several things
> to be
> in place in the program:
>
> (1) You want roughly equal numbers of English speakers (Majority
> language in the U.S. context) and "target language" speakers
> (e.g., half
> the kids speak English and half speak Spanish or some other
> Minority
> Language)
>
> (2) You want the program to follow one of the preferred models of
> 90/10
> or 80/20 instruction.
>
> The model involves placing more emphasis in lower grades (K-3) on
> the
> subordinate or, in this case, non-English "target language".  The
> rationale for this is that it is the best way for the English
> speakers
> to develop proficiencies in the target language, while for
> language
> minority students it provides a strong language foundation in
> their
> native language for moving on to learn English as they move
> through the
> grades.  Part of the dynamics for why this is preferable has to do
> with
> the relative dominance or subordination of the languages in the
> wider
> social, community context.  Since English is prevalent in U.S.
> society,
> intensive Spanish (or some other non-English target language)
> instruction provides the preferred language development
> opportunities
> for both the English speakers and the non-English native speakers
> of the
> "target language".
>
> So what does it look like?  Well, 90/10 means that kids, in say an
> English/Spanish Two-Way Bilingual Immersion program would spend
> 90% of
> their time in kindergarten in Spanish language instruction (not
> one
> language group or another, but ALL of the kids).  The 10% time is
> likely
> spent in English instruction.  As the students progress up the
> grades
> the percentage of time spent in each language becomes more equal,
> until
> by upper Elementary they are spending 50% of their day in each
> language.  During that 50% time they are getting Language
> Development/Language Arts experience in both languages and they
> are also
> learning key subject area content in both languages.
>
> Of course, in any given class the language of instruction is the
> same
> for all students, and students of both native language groups are
> generally in the same class together in roughly equal proportions.
> In
> some programs, there may be an exception for having certain
> Language
> Development/Acquisition classes by language group, but on the
> whole
> students are mixed together for most or all of the day.  This is
> one of
> the features of the program as well in that the mixing of students
> from
> both language groups encourages the students to interact, to
> negotiate
> meaning and to be language models for each other.
>
> That's a rough description.  For some succinct definitions about
> program
> types you may want to visit this URL:
>
> http://www.duallanguagenm.org/101.html
>
> This URL is from the Dual Language Education of New Mexico website.
>
> In Peace,
> K.
>
> R. A. Stegemann wrote:
>
> > Hi everyone!
> >
> > Can anyone provide a glimpse into what has been called a dual
> language
> > program in the following article. I simply cannot imagine how it
> would
> > work. Are the children taught the same courses in two languages?
> The
> > same languages in two courses? Different courses in alternating
> > languages? What actually transpires in such a setting?
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> > R. A. Stegemann
> >
> >
> > On 6 Oct 2004, at 21:17, Harold F. Schiffman wrote:
> >
> >         From the NYTimes, October 6, 2004
> >
> >
> >     Panel Focuses on Programs for Students New to English By ELISSA
> >     GOOTMAN
> >
> >     More than a year after Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg promised to
> >     strengthen
> >     programs for students who do not speak English, advocates
> for those
> >     students testified yesterday that their achievement levels
> are still
> >     extremely low, that parents are often misinformed about their
> >     children's
> >     options, and that often those options are limited. Speaking
> at a
> >     hearing
> >     of the City Council's Education Committee, Carmen Faria, the
> >     city's deputy
> >     chancellor for teaching and learning, testified that the
> >     Department of
> >     Education had started to make headway. She cited
> improvements in the
> >     training of educators who work with non-native English speakers
> >     and said
> >     she was starting to hold principals accountable for such
> students.>     Previously, she said, those students were often
> considered the
> >     responsibility of supervisors in district offices.
> >
> >     Ms. Faria testified that in the spring, only 7.5 percent of the
> >     system's
> >     134,670 English language learners, as the students are
> called, passed
> >     tests allowing them to leave the special programs. But she
> >     suggested there
> >     could be problems with the test, which recently replaced a
> far less
> >     rigorous one. "Many more kids pass other tests at higher
> levels,">     she told
> >     reporters. Ms. Faria lauded the appointment of 107 English
> language>     learner instructional specialists and 20
> supervisors. Together
> >     with Maria
> >     Santos, a senior manager in her office who also testified
> >     yesterday, Ms.
> >     Faria said she intended to improve math instruction in other
> >     languages and
> >     promote the use of technology to help students improve their
> >     English and
> >     other academic skills.
> >
> >     Shortly after being appointed to her post seven months ago,
> Ms. Faria
> >     cited services for English language learners as one of her
> >     priorities. It
> >     is also a personal issue: growing up with parents who had
> recently>     immigrated from Spain, Ms. Faria started school
> speaking no English.
> >     Councilwoman Eva S. Moskowitz, chairwoman of the committee,
> said she
> >     believed that under Mr. Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor
> Joel I.
> >     Klein,
> >     the department had lagged in its efforts to improve services for
> >     non-native English speakers.
> >
> >     "In my mind this is an area that requires very fundamental
> reform,>     and I'm
> >     not sure the administration has offered fundamental reform," Ms.
> >     Moskowitz
> >     said yesterday, saying student achievement among non-native
> English>     speakers represented an "abysmal state of affairs."
> "I'm a little
> >     surprised," she said. "They've been aggressive about a lot
> of other
> >     areas."
> >
> >     Many of the problems cited by advocates and council members
> >     predated the
> >     mayor's control over the schools. One new complaint,
> however, is
> >     that some
> >     programs have been cut as large city high schools with English
> >     learner
> >     programs have been replaced by small specialized high schools,
> >     most of
> >     which lack the capacity to cater to such students. Ms. Faria
> >     testified
> >     that parents can choose among three types of programs: dual-
> language>     programs, where half of the students in a class
> speak only
> >     English, the
> >     other half speak another language and the goal is for
> everyone to
> >     become
> >     bilingual; English as a Second Language, in which students are
> >     generally
> >     immersed in English and may take courses in their native
> language>     after
> >     school or at other times; and transitional bilingual
> education, in
> >     which
> >     the proportion of classes taught in a student's native language
> >     diminishes
> >     over time. But she acknowledged that there are not enough
> >     dual-language
> >     programs, saying more were in the works.
> >
> >     Advocates, however, said that most parents do not fully
> understand>     the
> >     differences among the three choices and are often simply
> directed to
> >     whatever program has room.
> >
> >     "These people use these words like 'parental choice' really
> >     because it
> >     sounds good politically," said Angelo Falcn, senior policy
> >     executive for
> >     the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund.
> >
> >     Wayne Ho, executive director of the Coalition for Asian American
> >     Children
> >     and Families, applauded Chancellor Klein's recent decision
> to set
> >     up a
> >     special unit for translating school documents. But he said the
> >     office was
> >     poorly staffed. A spokeswoman for the Department of
> Education said
> >     the
> >     office had only two employees, but more would be hired.
> >
> >
> >
> >     http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/06/nyregion/06school.html
> >
>