The nature of dual-language programs
Lynn Goldstein
lgoldstein at miis.edu
Wed Oct 6 18:35:10 UTC 2004
Could anyone give me the names and locations of or websites for dual
immersion programs in public schools that are for languages other than
Spanish. I have a student in my socio class who is interested in
locating/learning about such programs.
Thanks,
Lynn Goldstein
lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu writes:
>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
>> >
>>
>
>
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