As the population of English language learners increases in our public schools and as English speaking parents look for ways to introduce second language study in elementary school, one program that seems to blend the needs of these two groups is two-way bilingual immersion. When we blend children from two distinct cultural backgrounds and put them in the same classroom to learn the curriculum in two languages, many factors come into play.  By studying a number of two-way bilingual or dual language programs, we can understand what factors facilitate and which hinder a successful program. Input from teachers, parents, school and school community with established dual language programs can help inform decisions for administrators considering whether to establish a dual language program in their school.

      The student body in US public schools is changing. By 2030, 40% of the school age population will be English language learners (Collier & Thomas, 2002). With the current emphasis on accountability in schools and the requirement for all groups of children to make adequate yearly progress, school districts and school administrators are under pressure to find and establish programs that give ELL access to the curriculum as they learn English.  One viable option for educating English language learners effectively is dual language instruction.

     Recently, pressure to establish dual language programs in the public schools has come from English-speaking parents. Dual language instruction has been an option in private schools for monolingual English speakers for a long time. Presently over 6,500 private schools offer some degree of education in two languages (Lessow-Hurley, 2005). Research on programs for native English speakers who have studied a foreign language has shown that students studying a foreign language perform better on standardized assessments than those who are monolingual in English (Lindholm & Aclan, 1991). These and other research results have prompted American parents to request dual language programs for their native English-speaking children in the public schools (Cloud, Genesse, Hamayan, 2000; Crawford, 1999). 

     Even as some states pass legislation banning bilingual education, dual language programs have been growing in popularity in the public schools because they serve the English speaking population. In 1987 the national directory of two-way bilingual programs listed only 30 such programs.  By 1993, 176 programs were listed (Crawford, 1999).  Now, 24 states have dual language programs and there are more than 100 such programs in California alone (Freeman, Freeman, Mercuri, 2005), suggesting that these programs are thriving even where bilingual education has been banned.

      Are dual language programs bound to be successful no matter where or how they are set up? Does the very nature of the program guarantee success?  Or, does the success of a dual language program depend on a combination of factors and how those factors interact with each other as well as with the program?

      Besides looking at dual language program design, this study would explore the input of teachers and parents in a number of dual language programs. It would also look at factors such as program implementation, school organization and attitudes in the school and community. It would provide a contextualized description of what administrators should look for and look at when considering establishing a dual language program in their schools or evaluating their own program.
 

     The purpose of this study is to look at one program that research shows is highly efficient in teaching the elementary curriculum to English language learners and English language speakers.  It has the added benefit of teaching a second language to both groups. It is becoming more and more popular as seen by the increasing number of dual language programs throughout the United States.  In spite of an anti-bilingual attitude in states such as California, Arizona and Massachusetts that have large populations of English language learners, dual language programs are steadily increasing. The option seems very inviting because dual language instruction avoids the ban on bilingual programs by serving English-speaking children. For English language learners, it addresses their need to learn the curriculum as well as English.

     The study would look at the background of the two groups of parents who choose to send their children to the dual language program.  It would also look at the background of the teachers who chose to pursue a career in bilingual education and dual language in particular.  Then the study would look at the context of the program, the school and the community, to see if any factors stand out as favoring a dual language program or discouraging it. 

     This information can help decision-makers focus on the factors that facilitate an effective dual language program to see whether their school community has the right mix of factors essential to support a successful dual language program.  The study will point out elements that a school community should have before considering establishing this kind of instructional approach.  Also, the study should identify the kind of community make-up that is not conducive to a successful dual language program.  For example, if the neighborhood is becoming more affluent and the minority populations are moving away, then the neighborhood might not be able to sustain a program that depends on students who come from a minority language background. Since the research on dual language shows high academic achievement after four to six years of study in the two target languages (Collier & Thomas, 2002), communities should consider whether they have the long-term minority presence to support this kind of long-term program.

     By studying the two groups of parents who choose to send their children to a school with a dual language program, areas of conflict or cooperation can be pointed out.  Information on cultural differences could inform schools and school districts as to what could be considered cultural stumbling blocks in the development of a dual language program in their community.   This cultural information could be used as a guide for parent training and community outreach before starting such a program. This study would also look at whether program implementation is affected by input from the two groups of parents who support it. This information would be valuable for teachers to understand and to use when explaining the program to parents. Once teachers understand parental attitudes, they can work with the parents to make sure that parents understand the underlying principles of dual language program design and how changing the design can change the academic outcomes of the program.

     This study can help inform principals who already have a dual language program in their schools to examine their own program in terms of successful components.   Weak areas can be identified and targeted for improvement through staff development.  Parental attitudes or community factors can be addressed in community outreach activities or through established parent groups in the school.  In general, information from studying established programs can inform decisions for both those communities or administrators who are considering a dual language program for their schools as well as for principals who already have a dual language program in their school.

 Input from teachers, parents, school and community influence what happens inside the classroom in a dual language program.  When administrators are considering whether to establish a dual language program in their school or district, looking at how elements of the program interact will help them make informed decisions whether their school community has the necessary elements to support such a program. 
Even though recent research points to dual language programs as serving the needs of English language learners as well as native English speaking children in the public schools, the success of dual language programs depends on the interaction among the various sources of input into the program.  By their very nature, dual language programs deal with two distinct culture and language groups.  The interaction between two language groups and the differences in their cultural, educational and economic backgrounds should be studied to see how the input from these two groups affect how the program is implemented.

     Dual language programs frequently operate as a program within a school.  The school climate or attitudes of teachers and administrators in the organizational environment need to be examined to see whether they influence what happens in the classroom.  It would be valuable to look at how the dual language program is perceived and whether that perception influences the school district’s treatment of the program. For example, is the dual language program looked upon as an enrichment program since there are English speakers in it, or as mainly a first language support program since there are English language learners in it?  How do these perceptions enter into the classroom?

     Only by looking at the elements such as teachers, parents, school and community, that go into a dual language program can we understand how those elements interact to influence what actually happens in the program.  Even though dual language programs seem to be the solution to the needs of two groups of parents, communities should engage in careful study of what is necessary in order for their school community to successfully support a dual language program.
 
 

Cloud, N., Genesee, F., & Hamayan, E. (2000).  Dual language instruction: A handbook for enriched education. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.

Collier, V. & Thomas, W. (2002). A National study of school effectiveness for language minority students; long-term academic achievement. Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence/Center for Applied Linguistics. Washington, DC. 

Crawford, J. (1999). Bilingual education: History, politics, theory and practice. 4th
Ed. Los Angeles, CA: Bilingual Educational Services, Inc.

Cummins, J. (2000).  Language, Power and Pedagogy: Bilingual children in the crossfire. Cleveldon, UK: Multilingual Matters.

Freeman,Y., Freeman, D., & Mercuri, S. (2005). Dual language essentials for teachers and administrators. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heineman.

Lessow-Hurley, J.( 2005). The Foundations of dual language instruction 4th ed.
Boston: Pearson.