Profiles of Dual Language Education in the 21st Century

M. Beatriz Arias, Molly Fee, M. Beatriz Arias, Molly Fee

• Verlag: Multilingual Matters
• Jahr: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781788921688
• Thema: Languages & Linguistics
• Thema: Linguistics

In the last 20 years dual language education programs have increased in number and expanded in range. Whereas once they were predominantly focused at the elementary level, they now span from pre-K through to high school. This book examines the key attributes of successful dual language programs, as well as the challenges and opportunities involved in extending the dual language instructional model to pre-K and secondary settings. Chapter authors, who are themselves both researchers and practitioners, explore the latest research and policy implications for implementation of dual language in three different contexts; within a school, a dual language school and a dual language district. This book will be of interest to teachers, teacher educators, professional development specialists, policymakers, administrators, and researchers.

Part 1

Dual Language Programs

1Recent Research on the Three Goals of Dual Language Education

M. Beatriz Arias and Amy Markos

Introduction

In the late 1990s two foundational articles on dual language education were published: Christian’s ‘Two way immersion education: students learning in two languages’ (1996), defined and described dual language education programs and reported emerging results of dual language education at that time. Soon thereafter, Valdés (1997) published, ‘Dual language education: a cautionary note concerning the education of language minority students,’ problematizing the use of dual language education in meeting the needs of English learners (ELs). In this chapter, we review the last 20 years of research since those publications to report on the progress of research on the three goals of dual language education as defined by Christian (1996) and discuss the extent to which issues raised by Valdés (1997) have been addressed.

To begin, we offer an overview of the different types of dual language programs and the growth of these programs across the nation.

Overview of Dual Language Education

Dual language education has proven to be a successful program for both emergent bilinguals/English learners and native English speakers (NES), promoting the acquisition of a second language, sustaining academic achievement and developing cross-cultural competence (Lindholm-Leary, 2001; Thomas & Collier, 1997, 2002). Over the last 20 years, research indicates that several types of dual language education programs have developed, responding to local needs and communities. The differences across program types and the growth of programs are addressed below.

Types of dual language education programs

There are two main types of dual language education: two-way programs and one-way programs, see Figure 1.1 below for an overview of the various types (Boyle et al., 2015). Whether two-way or one-way, dual language programs provide a full educational experience for students, supporting students’ academic achievement and language development.

Figure 1.1. Dual language education program models. Source: Boyle et al. (2015), Dual Language Education Programs: Current State Policies and Practices (p. 24)

Dual language programs are primarily found in elementary schools, beginning in kindergarten and lasting through the end of 5th or 6th grade. Fewer programs extend into the middle and secondary years, and when they do, tend to shift from a focus on instruction and learning in two languages to a focus on maintaining proficiency in the partner language through foreign language courses. Many dual language programs at the secondary level are limited to a single class period (Bearse & de Jong, 2008). Presently, states and dual language advocates are exploring ways to promote the continuation of dual language education into the secondary years. One approach to encourage and support student’s second language acquisition is to award a special certification to students upon graduation based on their demonstrated course work and communicative proficiency in a second language. This award, which is given upon graduation from high school, appears on the student’s transcript as a Seal of Biliteracy. As of this date, 33 states and the District of Columbia offer the Seal of Biliteracy, a certification indicating that the student has attained grade level proficiency in a second language (Lead with Languages, n.d.).

Number of dual language programs in the U.S.

It is difficult to determine the actual number of dual language programs currently in place, but we do know that with increased parental interest and support at the state and community levels, the number of programs in the U.S. is on the rise. One of the difficulties in the identification of dual language programs is the reliability to which each program adheres to a common definition of ‘dual language.’ In 2004, the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) conducted an inventory of dual language programs across the nation. At that time, over 450 programs were identified across 32 states and the District of Columbia. For the 2004 inventory, CAL vetted each program with regard to student make-up (at least 30% native speakers of the partner language), the percentage of language allocated to the partner language (50/50 by 3rd grade), the instruction of content areas in the partner language (language arts taught in both the partner language and English) and the extent to which the program was articulated across the grades (Center for Applied Linguistics, n.d.).

CAL recently conducted another search of dual language programs across the nation. While this update did not attempt to validate that the programs adhered to a set of defining principles, the search found over 2500, self-identified dual language programs across 39 states and the District of Columbia. The U.S. Department of Education reported that of the states offering dual language programs in the 2012−13 school year, the most frequently identified partner languages were Spanish, Chinese, Native American languages and French (Boyle et al., 2015: 30−31). A case study included in this same report noted over 900 dual language programs in just six states.

In summary, while it is currently difficult to specify the number of dual language programs in place, it is reasonable to say that the popularity of dual language programs and the number of programs has increased (Harris, 2015). Within the last ten years, we have witnessed an increase in state support for developing student’s multilingual skills in order to enhance student’s competitiveness in the global market. For example, Utah passed legislation in 2008 that established dual language programs throughout the state, providing funding for programs, teacher development and curriculum materials (Boyle et al., 2015: 8). Utah is joined by Delaware, Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, Washington and the District of Columbia as states that are actively promoting dual language education for all students.

Research on Dual Language Education

For the remainder of this chapter, we use the term dual language education (DLE) to refer to two-way dual language education programs that serve emergent bilinguals: transnational English learners (ELs) and language majority students (NES) and provide instruction in and through two languages: English and the partner language. In DLE programs bilingual learners:

(1)develop high levels of proficiency in both languages;

(2)perform at or above grade level in academic areas in both languages; and

(3)demonstrate positive cross-cultural competence.

To determine the state of research on DLE programs, we reviewed the last two decades of research focusing on the three goals of DLE: bilingualism/biliteracy, academic achievement and cross-cultural competence. We are informed in this review by the recent publication ‘Dual language education programs: current state policies and practices’ (Boyle e...