The nature of dual-language programs
P. Kerim Friedman
kerim.list at oxus.net
Wed Oct 6 20:06:16 UTC 2004
I don't know of any URLs, or even the name of the school, but I know
there are schools in NY's Chinatown that work on this model and that
there are a significant number of African-American students who attend.
(If you track down some URLs, please forward them to the list!)
kerim
On Oct 6, 2004, at 2:35 PM, Lynn Goldstein wrote:
>
>
> 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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