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Dual Language

Most bilingual education in the United States is conducted through a dual language or dual immersion program. In a dual language program, students learn content, such as science, math, and reading,  through two languages. The amount of time allotted to each language varies by program design, but the focus of all  dual language programs is for students to become bilingual and biliterate, reach high levels of academic achievement, and develop sociocultural competency (Howard, 2018).

At Mid Valley Elementary, the Dual Language program is designed on a 80:20 additive model, which represents the percentage of the day spent in the target language, Spanish, and slowly adding time in English. Below shows the distribution of classes in Spanish and English from kindergarten through fifth grade.

More than 40 years of research shows:

  • All dual language students have better cognitive and academic development than their monolingual peers (Collier, 2017).
  • English Learners acquire English faster (6 years)  and maintain grade level achievement longer than their peers in ESL programs (see graph, Collier, 2012, 2017).
  • Students develop cross-cultural competency and maintain connections with their heritage culture.
  • All students add a second language, and are better prepared for a globalized world.

Please review this document for more information about the dual language program.