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This qualitative study examines strategies used by children in a kindergarten dual language immersion (DLI) class, when enacting and negotiating intersecting social constructions such as ethnicity, social class, and bilingualism. Drawing on data collected during the 2017–2018 academic year, this paper uses an intersectional lens to describe the ways in which children are actively engaged in sociocultural processes of language use and socialization. In addition, it employs the notions of identity and social class position to analyze how children's bilingual understanding and strategic language use is manifested in different ways. The paper ends by encouraging educators and researchers to reconsider the way they evaluate power at work in educational settings and children's ways of displaying it. A more nuanced understanding of children's interactions in bilingual settings is necessary in order to stretch our considerations of power and social relations in present-day school contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual language immersion (DLI) programs were developed in the U.S. with the expressed goal of supporting intercultural connections, bilingualism, biliteracy, and respect for diversity. However, these programs are still influenced by broader social ideas and power dynamics. From this perspective, this year-long ethnographic case study uses a sociocultural approach to examine the nature of young children's social experiences in DLI contexts. In particular, this study investigates how kindergarten children in a DLI class discern and navigate socially-constructed racial ideas. Data for this qualitative case study was collected through field notes, semi-structured interviews, and video recordings. The findings shed light on how race becomes a category that separates children and attaches particular meanings to individual subjects. This exploration helps to address antiblackness in DLI settings by analyzing how social constructions shape social practices, racial perceptions, and the socialization process in these programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study concerns integration in a two-way dual language immersion (DLI) context. Specifically, the present study examines parents of students in Korean-English DLI programs with the intent to understand the extent of their satisfaction with their child's ability to get along with children of different cultures and languages. This study also examines parental views on integration among parents themselves. Using the survey data collected from over 450 parents in seven elementary schools in southern California, this quantitative study also investigates to what degree the variables of integration among children and among parents are associated with other parental demographic characteristics and parental experiences in their child's DLI program. Based on the study findings, this study argues that integration in DLI must be a school-wide commitment and not simply a program's goal. Moreover, to achieve integration in DLI, all stakeholders of the program need to be considered, including students, educators, and families of students in the school. This study also highlights the need to diversify discussions regarding DLI programs in terms of target languages, program types, and school locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One Mandarin immersion programming model involves a pair of partner teachers switching cohorts of students. Many programs meet their staffing needs with international teachers that remain with the school district for 1–3 years. Due to transient staffing, many partner teachers find themselves as mentors to their immersion teachers and maintain the program's institutional knowledge. A national survey of 106 American teachers examined their attitudes regarding collaboration with their Chinese teacher, identification as a mentor, perceived administrative support, and school climate. Many participants worked in public elementary one‐way immersion programs classified as schools within a school; about 20% worked in full immersion schools. The partner teachers agreed that they felt connected to and supported by other staff in their building, and reported positive structures in place for student success. Respondents signaled a need for more professional development on immersion education, Chinese culture, and the partner teacher role. Some indicated administrators would promote the program without understanding it. Many reported the immersion teachers' needs for more targeted professional development about American culture and the education system because of misunderstandings at the building level. Despite concerns, partner teachers found the role challenging but professionally rewarding. The Challenge: With the growth of dual language immersion programs across the country and the current teacher shortage, many school districts have turned to hiring international teachers to fill their immersion needs. The stability of the international teachers' positions is tenuous; visa restrictions and instability of permanent staffing in immersion positions creates an additional burden on the partner teachers to maintain the immersion program and institutional knowledge. Understanding their experiences is crucial to the success of dual language immersion programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reading and writing translate to centuries of shared knowledge and can be expanded upon with the ability to acquire multiple tongues. In response to today's most widely spoken languages, Chinese/English and Spanish/English dual language immersion programs continue to grow across the United States. Unfortunately, the lack of uniformity in the structure and implementation of national bilingual programs is as prominent as bilingual educators' concerns on how to best support emergent bilinguals in their development of biliteracy, while meeting state and national standards in both English and the partner language. Immersion classrooms will benefit from practical and effective ways to inform instruction for increased student engagement, greater access to bilingual education resources, and support to deliver content area instruction in the target language to both native and non-native English-speaking students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though Mandarin Chinese dual language immersion (DLI) has been growing rapidly in the U.S., research on this population is still rare. This study explored cross-language transfer of expressive oral vocabulary knowledge and definition skills among students in a Chinese DLI program. We found significant within and cross-language relationships of aspects of definition skills and cross-language relationships between expressive vocabulary and definition skills. Hierarchical regression revealed strong predictive association within and across languages for definition skills. Moderation analysis revealed that Chinese vocabulary knowledge had a moderating effect on the transfer of the syntagmatic aspect of Chinese definition skill to the corresponding skill in English. Educational implications and research recommendations are discussed in relation to an expanding framework of cross-language transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two-way immersion dual language education program design includes the use of language labels to identify students as either the English speaker or the speaker of a language other than English. This paper examines four focal student and two teacher interviews to consider the ways in which the idea of a 'language expert' transpired during individual student retrospective interviews. Data include video and audio recordings of student and teacher interviews, classroom observations of student interactions during their kindergarten, first and second grade years. This study draws from a raciolinguistic perspective to explore how power operates in sites where the categorization of language and race are negotiated. A distinctive goal of this paper includes understanding the ways in which students were perceived by their peers and classroom teachers as language learners in order to understand how power relations operated as the school demographics were changing. Findings indicate that race was entwined with social class and language in the ways students perceived one another. Implications for teacher education programs include raising an awareness of how teachers can both mitigate and shift power relations in culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we leverage in-depth interview to probe a Third Grade teacher's memories of the 2016–2017 School Year in a Spanish/English Dual Language Immersion (DL/I) school serving one of North Carolina's new Latinx communities. As our analysis will demonstrate, Mariana Castillo's interaction with the events of SY 16-17 combined with her still vivid memories as a child immigrant, led to her generalization that she was just another Brown body in the North Carolina piedmont—highlighting the emotional disequilibrium of teaching in the New Latino South and the unresolved tensions that social justice-equity oriented DL/I Latinx educators face when the branding of a state-led program is "instrumental/neoliberal oriented." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examine the Spanish proficiency progress of elementary Spanish-English bilinguals in three types of language program models: a dual language bilingual education (DLBE) model with a 90/10 language allocation, a DLBE model with a 50/50 language allocation, and an English as a Second Language (ESL) model over an academic year. In the domain of speaking, individual student characteristics were most predictive of progress. For listening and reading, time had the greatest impact on their Spanish language growth. With writing, the most impactful moderator was the teacher, and this was most predictive in the DLBE 90/10 model. Implications point to the need to provide immersive writing instruction and to arrange DLBE schedules to ensure the inclusion of writing. Oftentimes in 50/50 DLBE models, the domain of writing is least covered within the partner language with English taking precedence due to testing accountability. As provisions for dual language bilingual education are increasing, this study holds important implications for this model's impact on Spanish-English bilinguals' Spanish proficiency. Future studies will examine outcomes across time among emergent bilinguals in their native language, along with the potential influences of the student, the teacher, and the demographics of the school and community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the development of oral narrative retell proficiency among Mandarin Chinese-English dual language immersion (DLI) learners in Utah. The study compared the younger and the older DLI learners' oral narrative retelling production in order to provide information regarding the Mandarin narrative developmental trend of the DLI learners. A total of ten first graders and ten fifth graders who spoke English as their native language from a Mandarin DLI program in Utah were involved in this study. Oral narratives were elicited via retelling a story. MANOVA tests were run to detect any significant differences at the macrostructure and microstructure levels of the participants' narratives. The results showed significant differences in the older learners for many macrostructure and microstructure features; however, certain components in both macrostructure and microstructure features remain at similar levels. The results could be explained by children's typical progress in oral narrative development (e.g. progressing from word level through sentence and story formation), the DLI curriculum, and the difference between the Chinese and English language features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study explored the social and cultural capital of teachers in a rural Midwestern Spanish-English dual-language immersion (DLI) program as they overcame an Anglocentric epistemological hegemony in their daily practice. Working from Bourdieu’s (1986) theory of social capital and Rios-Aguilar and Kiyama’s (2012) approach to funds of knowledge, this research demonstrated that DLI teachers faced challenges ranging from resistance by non-DLI teachers in the school afraid of losing their jobs, to a broader fear of the DLI program taking resources away from the monolingual anglophone classrooms. To overcome these challenges, the DLI teachers drew extensively on their global social networks to resuscitate knowledge systems under attack from an Anglocentric epistemology, leveraging their existing social and cultural capital to benefit the community as a whole through an authentic Spanish-language epistemology.

Copyright of Journal of Technology & Chinese Language Teaching is the property of Middle Tennessee State University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Five cohorts of students (N = 322) who completed a K–5 Spanish Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program in an urban school district were followed longitudinally through middle and high school completion. Academic and language achievement data included English Language Arts and Mathematics scores on the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) test for grades 3–8 and on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) for 11th grade, 10th‐grade cumulative high school grade point average, enrollment in and grades earned in language classes, and attainment of the California Seal of Biliteracy. The DLI students were compared to non‐DLI students who attended the same schools. Most DLI students continued with advanced level classes in Spanish in high school, and nearly half earned the California Seal of Biliteracy. Achievement results indicate that DLI graduates performed at equivalent or higher levels than non‐DLI students on standardized achievement measures for English Language Arts and Mathematics. The Challenge: How do graduates of elementary Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs compare to non‐DLI students in secondary school? The challenge is the scarcity of longitudinal research on DLI graduates. We followed 5th grade DLI students through 12th grade finding that they continue language study and that their achievement in English Language Arts and Mathematics is similar to non‐DLI students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual language immersion (DLI) programs have emerged in the U.S. as effective ways to bring together language minority and language majority speakers in school settings with the goal of bilingualism and bi-literacy for all. However, the proliferation of these programs has raised concerns regarding issues of inequity and dissimilar power dynamics in these spaces (Cervantes-Soon, 2014, "A Critical Look at Dual Language Immersion in the New Latin@ Diaspora." Bilingual Research Journal 37 (1): 64–82; Flores, 2016, Do Black Lives matter in Bilingual Education [Web log post]. Accessed May 1, 2017. https://educationallinguist.wordpress.com/2016/09/11/do-black-lives-matter-in-bilingual-education/; Valdes, 1997, "Dual language immersion programs: A cautionary note concerning the education of language-minority students." Harvard Educational Review 67: 391–430, 2018, "Analyzing the curricularization of language in two-way immersion education: Restating two cautionary notes." Bilingual Research Journal). With this in mind, this study aims to shed light on the intricate social processes at work in DLI contexts. In particular, this paper examines first, how notions of language use, race, and ethnicity are socially constructed and intersect in DLI settings; and second, it explores how these ideas are discerned and re-shaped by young children into their own social and linguistic norms. Employing qualitative research methods, this year-long ethnographic case study uses the intersectional lens of raciolinguistics (Alim, Rickford & Ball, 2016, Raciolinguistics: how language shapes our ideas about race. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; Rosa & Flores, 2017, "Unsettling race and language: Toward a raciolinguistic perspective." Language in Society 46 (5): 621–647), to examine the intricate cross-cutting dynamics at play in bilingual spaces. The exploration of these ideas helps to illuminate the ways in which language practices and interactions are shaped by social constructions from a very early age. Furthermore, it contributes to understandings of social perceptions and relations in multilingual/multicultural/multiethnic contemporary school settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explored whether emergent bilingual children showed enhanced abilities to learn L3 vocabulary including written, spoken and conceptual forms compared to monolinguals, and the impact of L2/L3 cross-language similarities on such an effect. To this end, we contrasted the English word learning performance of French fifth-graders attending either a monolingual school program or a classroom-immersion program with German as an L2. Half of the items to be learned were German/English (L2/L3) cognate words while the other half were monolingual English (L3) words. Learning was assessed with a forced-choice recognition task, a go/no-go auditive recognition task and an orthographic judgment task. Results yielded a generalized bilingual advantage, with classroom-immersion children outperforming monolinguals on all tasks, irrespective of cognateness, except for the orthographic task. These findings advocate for a bilingual advantage in children that is globally not driven by the specific language properties of cognates, except for the written modality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the long-term linguistic and academic outcomes associated with different bilingual language education models for low-income dual language learners (DLLs) residing in a bilingual, bicultural context. As part of the Miami School Readiness Project (MSRP), we analyzed the impact of program model on gains in English language proficiency and 5th grade standardized achievement in reading and math and grade point average (GPA) for five cohorts of DLLs followed throughout elementary school. Participants had been enrolled in public pre-K programs or received childcare subsidies to attend center- or family-childcare from 2002 to 2007 in Miami-Dade County, Florida (N = 20,870). Controlling for several student-level background variables correlated with educational outcomes, correlational and multiple regression analyses revealed that bilingual, rather than monolingual, forms of instruction were associated with acquiring English faster and superior performance in all measures of 5th grade academic achievement. Importantly, two-way immersion models that support the home language and culture and integrate language majority and minority learners were associated with faster English acquisition, which mediated the link between Two-Way Immersion (TWI) programs and higher GPAs. We discuss the implications of our findings for educational policy and practice and highlight future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Context: Public school enrollment in the United States is becoming increasingly racially and linguistically diverse; however, school segregation continues to intensify across the nation. Within this context, two-way dual language immersion (TWI) programs, which intentionally strive to balance English learners and English speakers, may create a natural opportunity for integration. Research Question: How do teachers and leaders facilitate integrative interactions among students of different racial and linguistic groups in a TWI program? Research Design: This qualitative, holistic, single case study explores the TWI program at Silverthorne Elementary School (pseudonym), a K-5 traditional public school in the southeastern United States. Silverthorne is in a rural community on the outskirts of a large metropolitan area that is a new immigrant destination. At the time of data collection, Silverthorne's TWI program was in its seventh year of implementation. Participants include 12 teachers, one guidance counselor, and one school leader. We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with all participants, observed eight classrooms, and analyzed supplemental documents. We used inductive coding and ultimately generated four themes to describe how TWI teachers and leaders facilitate integration. Findings: Silverthorne's TWI program provides an opportunity to facilitate integration among students from different racial and linguistic backgrounds. The nature of these integrative experiences is shaped by the structure of the TWI program, the teachers' conceptualizations of diversity, the teachers' pedagogical and curricular decisions, and the school leader's support of the TWI program. Conclusion: Although teachers and leaders in the Silverthorne TWI program have promoted integration in numerous ways, they also have missed important opportunities to facilitate greater integration. Nonetheless, this TWI program illustrates the potential of TWI to provide opportunities for students from different racial and linguistic backgrounds to learn together in a truly integrated environment. Findings suggest the need for enhanced professional development regarding how to facilitate integration in diverse classrooms as well as future research to understand how, if at all, integration is considered when districts and schools are designing and implementing TWI programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Georgia and North Carolina are part of what some call the New Latinx South, a region where Latinx populations more than doubled recently. Both states have struggled to educate language minoritized students (evidenced by low graduation rates), yet are among the top three states for numbers of dual language (DL) programs in the Southeast. This model integrates English speakers and speakers of a minoritized language to promote biliteracy for all, disrupting a legacy of English-only education. Such contradictions, along with the Southeast's complex history of racial relations, create tensions and opportunities for DL. Through media content analysis, informed by LatCrit, we examined discourses about DL to determine ways DL is framed and conceived. Findings demonstrate how public discourses perpetuated notions of whom DL should serve, and for what purposes. The discussion identifies spaces of resistance DL supporters can engage to promote democratic, rather than neoliberal, articulations of DL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The current study seeks to better understand the effects of input quantity, input quality, and output on the French vocabulary development of early-elementary school students attending a French–English dual language immersion (DLI) program in the United States. Design: The participants were 42 early-elementary students attending a French–English DLI program, who participated in a longitudinal study. At the beginning of the study, they experienced variability in out-of-school French input and output. Data and analysis: Data on out-of-school French input and output came from parents' responses on a survey. Children's French receptive vocabulary was measured using their scores on the Échelle de Vocabulaire en Images Peabody, while their French expressive vocabulary was measured using the number of different words employed on a picture description task. Their vocabulary skills were assessed over one year, and data from the five time points were used to fit a longitudinal growth model. Findings: Students who were exposed to more French input had higher scores on the French receptive vocabulary measure at baseline, whereas those who produced more French output had higher scores on the French expressive vocabulary measure at baseline. Maternal French proficiency had no significant effect on French receptive and expressive vocabulary scores at baseline. Originality: Few previous studies, if any, have analyzed the associations between input, output, and vocabulary development in the DLI context; that is, the extent to which children's vocabulary trajectories in the partner language are affected by their out-of-school input and output experiences. Implications: Bilingual programs ought to emphasize both input and output in the target language given their unique contribution to children's receptive and expressive language skills. Also, future research on bilingual vocabulary development should examine input and output in both languages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Education Policy Analysis Archives / Archivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas / Arquivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas is the property of Educational Policy Analysis Archives & Education Review and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Dual language immersion (DLI) as an alternative model to monolingual English‐medium education has continued to expand rapidly over the past decade. As this model continues to grow across the United States, stakeholders look to research to demonstrate sustainability and scalability of dual language programs. Drawing on 224 schools, the statewide study reported in this article investigated whether students' growth in a non‐English DLI partner language sustained into the secondary level, to what degree students met performance benchmarks for these partner languages, and whether targeted outcomes were attained during program expansion. The longitudinal analysis of assessment data shows that middle school students performed at Intermediate Mid to High levels on the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency scale in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and that a segment of students raised their performance levels from 8th to 9th grade. Furthermore, a considerable portion of DLI students in French and Spanish dual language programs reached the Advanced level in 9th grade. Finally, 3rd‐ and 4th‐grade data show that targeted performance outcomes held from one testing year to another, 4 years later, and after a substantial increase in enrollments. The article concludes with a discussion of curricular and policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the evolving instructional practice of one Chinese dual language instructor in the US as she employs a translanguaging-inspired approach in her math and science Mandarin medium classes. Contrary to the school language allocation policy requiring 90% Mandarin in her Chinese classes, she encourages the utilization of English as well as Mandarin in her instruction. This offers comprehensible input to learners, also making possible greater student participation. Findings from observations and interviews reveal how a focus on meaning-making in instruction resulted in the gradual evolution of bilingual language use and effective communication of content by students and the teacher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educators (school administrators, teachers, district officials, etc.) often use parental satisfaction 'as one indicator of school success or one outcome of school effectiveness' [Parkes, J., and T. Ruth. 2011. "How Satisfied are Parents of Students in Dual Language Education Programs? (Me parece maravillosa la gran oportunidad que le están dando a estos niños)." International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 14 (6): 701–718]. Parent satisfaction is particularly attended to in educational settings where participation is voluntary (such as magnet or charter schools, for example). This article examines Latino parental satisfaction in four Oregon dual language immersion (DLI) schools. If past research, and our findings, are accurate, then researchers and educators can convincingly conclude that Latino parents are highly satisfied with bilingual education programs in general, and DLI programs in particular, and there is no need for improvement. We argue, however, that uncritically reporting high levels Latino parental satisfaction in bilingual programs can lead educators to become complacent to these parents' concerns. Latino parental satisfaction must be viewed through multiple lenses in order to avoid silencing their voices in DLI settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on bilingual education presents clear advantages for children's linguistic, cognitive, and social development. However, recent criticism of dual language education programs has led to claims of dual language education as a marker of elite bilingualism or that parents play their roles as socially accepted "good parents" by sending their child to a bilingual school. This paper presents the linguistic ideologies of parents of students enrolled in two Chinese-English dual language schools in the MidAtlantic U.S. Qualitative data were obtained from in-depth interviews with 21 parents (mothers = 15, fathers = 6), the majority of whom have no Chinese ethnic connection. In drawing from theories of Family Language Policy, parents addressed the connections between Mandarin and economic, political, sociolinguistic, or sociocultural factors. Discussions with parents reveal both their knowledge and misconceptions regarding language learning theories. Findings also indicated that parental language ideologies often intertwine Chinese language with culture and nationality. Further, this research explores the ways parents uniquely shaped their identities in how they both accept and reject aspects of Chinese culture and language. My study reveals a more nuanced portrait of the parents who choose Mandarin immersion for their children, and explores the critical role that caretakers can play in informing bilingual policies and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we present an educational board game designed to promote both mathematics and Chinese language learning. We use text‐mining techniques to analyze dialog by 40 students, in six groups playing a board game in a dual language immersion context. Our findings provide evidence to support past claims and arguments that play and specifically play within board games can provide a learning environment in which students can experiment with concepts and language without fear of failure. In our study, we not only found that learners were willing and excited to use their L2 skills within the context of the game but also that the board game promoted peer learning, which subsequently provided support for both math and language development. The Challenge: In addition to providing motivating experiences, to what extent can the use of collaborative board games help dual language immersion educators to integrate subject content and target language instruction in a language‐rich, meaningful, and engaging way? Video_Abstract_and_Discussion [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of dual language exposure in children's cognitive development continues to be debated. The majority of the research with bilingual children in the US has been conducted with children becoming literate in only one of their languages. Dual language learners who are becoming literate in both their languages are acutely understudied. We compared dual language learners (n = 61) in a Spanish–English dual language immersion program to monolingual English speaking children (n = 55) who were in a traditional English only school. Children (kindergarten to 3rd grade) completed standardized vocabulary tasks and two measures of executive functions. Despite having significantly smaller English vocabularies, the dual language learners outperformed the monolingual children on the executive function measures. Implications for our understanding of the relations between oral language development and executive function in bilingual children are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on a study that investigated achievement in math of third and fourth grade dual language immersion (DLI) students, building on research that has demonstrated the academic achievement of students who receive content instruction predominantly in the target language. Our study expands the scope and methodology of prior research by including one-way programs in three languages (Chinese, French and Spanish) and two-way Spanish-English programs; and by relying on propensity matching to mitigate possible effects of school and student differences. In our third grade study, we compared students' math scores in relation to their English Language Arts (ELA) achievement to control for pre-existing differences between DLI and non-DLI students. DLI students who attained the same levels in ELA, and who received math instruction in a target language, performed at the same level as their non-DLI peers in third grade math tests given in English. For the fourth grade study, we compared DLI students to a propensity-matched non-DLI group. DLI students grew more in math than their counterparts not in DLI. The results from this natural experiment indicate that students in a DLI program that has been implemented state-wide were able to succeed academically in math. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research reports the positive impact of dual immersion programs on students’ language proficiency, yet fewer studies have examined students’ attitudes in such programs. The current study examined student attitudes and language proficiency in a Cantonese dual immersion school and explored relationships between students’ attitudes and language proficiency in Cantonese. Language proficiency results showed that, on average, Cantonese immersion student performances indicated attainment of Intermediate‐High level in listening, Novice‐Mid level in reading, and Novice‐High level in writing and speaking. In addition, heritage learners outperformed nonheritage learners in reading and listening skills. Survey data revealed that heritage learners held more positive attitudes toward learning Cantonese compared with nonheritage learners, but there were no differences in attitudes toward the focal school between the two student groups. Regression analysis revealed that students’ attitudes toward the dual immersion school explained significant variance in their Cantonese reading, listening, and speaking skills. Qualitative data also revealed that students’ positive attitudes toward their school were shaped by their experiences with their principal, teachers, and school activities. These findings shed light on the role that positive school and learning environments play in helping dual language immersion school students acquire proficiency in the partner language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examined the bilingual language development among Korean American first-graders in two southern California cities and explored the opportunities for language use available to them in various spaces: at school (one dual language immersion school and one traditional English-only public school), at home, and in the community. Data collected over 15 months included three oral language proficiency assessments in Korean and English; interviews with parents and children; and fieldnotes based on observations at home, at school, and during extracurricular activities. All of the children, regardless of school setting, showed increases in English proficiency; however, their Korean development varied. We found that English opportunities were widely accessible for all of the participants; however, opportunities to use Korean were starkly different between the two cities. The families who resided in communities with few Korean resources needed more financial and temporal resources to attain regular exposure to Korean, which suggests that supporting the development of a less-commonly spoken heritage language in the United States (e.g. Korean) may not be accessible to all immigrant families. Finally, we found that for children in the developmental stages of bilingualism, purposeful and deliberate instruction (particularly in vocabulary and grammar) and diverse opportunities to practice both languages are continuously needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When visiting Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs within today's public schools, sociocultural divides and linguistic barriers between parents of each represented language group become quickly recognizable. Should it be a priority of DLI programs to foster intercultural parental relations as a means for improving student learning? If given the opportunity, would DLI parents participate in such initiatives? If successful, could these efforts be implemented beyond DLI programs to impact entire school communities or even communities at large? Drawing upon data gathered from an extensive case study at an elementary school in Virginia, this paper explores the intercultural relations between DLI parents and the need to re-examine the overall purpose of such programs. Findings revealed strong participant motivation to work collaboratively in establishing relationships and supporting DLI learning opportunities that transcend language instruction for their children to include cross-cultural understanding and a commitment to creating more inclusive communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid rise of Asian economies has increased the popularity of learning Chinese language worldwide. Although CIP have become popular in the United States, research into these programs is scant. This study explores the practices and challenges of one such Chinese immersion program by using a case study methodology to gain in-depth insights. The case school is a state-funded nonprofit organization created by a group of community members. The main research participants were teachers of the kindergarten levels of immersion classes. The researchers used semistructured interviews, an online questionnaire, and document collection to obtain data. The main challenges faced by the CIPs are as follows: (1) difficulty in recruiting qualified teachers; (2) insufficient professional development; (3) difficulty in balancing content and language instruction; (4) insufficient use of Chinese; and (5) shortage of external resource support. Strategies to overcome these obstacles encountered in CIP have been discussed and suggested in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We argue the emergence of a shift in U.S. language education policy discourses from an equity/heritage (EH) framework focused on equity for English learners and non-English heritage languages, toward a global human capital (GHC) framework linked to neoliberal considerations of the language skills of individuals and nations. This discursive shift represents a change in the audience to which language education programs are primarily marketed. Drawing on a critical approach to content analysis to test for evidence of this discursive shift in Utah, we analyzed 164 articles from 5 Utah newspapers from 2005 to 2011 that assigned value statements to dual language and bilingual education. EH values declined or changed little over time whereas GHC values increased. Policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many educators and policy makers look to two-way dual language immersion as one of the most promising options to close achievement gaps for English learners. However, the programs’ effectiveness depends on the quality of their implementation. This article reports on a large-scale study of the implementation of dual language immersion across a large, urban school district. Using classroom observations, we examined teaching practices and language use by teachers and students in dual language immersion classrooms across an entire school district. We found strong implementation of teaching practices consistent with sheltered instruction and strong adherence by teachers to partner language use as prescribed by the district’s guidelines. This article provides a descriptive view of what is happening in two-way dual language immersion classrooms in a large, urban U.S. school district. While other studies may examine classroom practices, few have done so on this scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we present quantitative findings on the effects of English-Spanish dual language immersion on student achievement in science and mathematics in grades 3, 4, and 5. The research aims to present empirical evidence documenting the impact of dual language immersion, reveal analytical techniques utilizing nonparametric measure of similar and comparative analysis, and discuss the benefits and common misconceptions associated with dual language immersion as well as implications for serving disadvantaged students and their success in STEM education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a research on development of German reading comprehension with two-way immersion, a part of the popular bilingual instruction in primary schools.

This qualitative study examines the experiences of Korean-American students, parents and teachers in a newly instituted 50/50 Korean–English dual language immersion programme, where the majority of the students are of Korean descent. Based on home and school observations, as well as interviews with six Korean-American students and their parents and teachers, the data provided insights into the perceived benefits and challenges of participation in a dual language immersion programme. Although parents and children recognised the potential of the programme to develop bilingualism and biculturalism and foster stronger ethnic identity, they also perceived inequities in the ways in which the programme was organised and instruction was executed. The characteristics of the programme brought forth tensions for the parents and teachers in terms of expectations for language development in Englishvs. Korean, academic outcomes of bilingualvs. English-only education, parental involvement among Koreanvs. non-Korean parents and instructional needs of Koreanvs. non-Korean students. Furthermore, the analysis highlighted both shared perspectives as well as perspectives that were unique to children, parents and teachers arising from their different roles in the school. Implications for improved practices and policies for dual language immersion programmes for the less commonly taught languages are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gabriela Montserrat (pseudonym) is a Mexican–American child classified by her school district as an ‘emerging bilingual’ and is the focus of this qualitative case study that took place at a public elementary school located in a suburban community in the southwestern US in Mrs Pérez's (pseudonym) second-grade classroom. The student's use of personal stories to make connections between the literature she reads and her life is framed primarily by Cultural Hybridity Theory and Third Space Theory in Language And Literacy. Within this conceptualization, we began with broad research questions: (1) What is the role of Gabriela, an emerging bilingual second-grade student, in the hybrid or ‘third space’ that Mrs Pérez, her teacher, has created for her literature classroom? and (2) How does Gabriela's background influence her interpretation of text(s)? To answer these questions, we employed both a qualitative case study research paradigm and a feminist research paradigm to explore the processes and dynamics of Gabriela's use of narratives in her personal experience as a way for her to make connections and meaning from texts. Artifacts collected for data analysis and triangulation included audio-tapes, field notes, student journal entries, and semi-structured interviews. Constant comparative analysis and discourse analysis were used to analyze the data and to create an individual profile that serves to provide a background and context for understanding the students' chosen participation style during seven literature discussions. Within the analysis, several patterns and themes emerged including: (1) Connections to the Text; (2) Connections to Something Someone Said; (3) Responses to a Question; and (4) A Story She Needed to Tell. The article concludes with suggestions and recommendations for broadening the curricular and pedagogical practices for teachers of emerging bilingual learners. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The United States has, since its birth been a linguistically and culturally diverse nation, forcing administrators attend minority groups and to respond adequately to their educational needs. Our paper begins with a historical journey that has given us some data on migratory movements in the U.S. and has informed us to the current demographic composition. Among the educational responses that have been given attention to minorities, some have been successful as bilingual educational policies. From a research design that responds to a case study we have analyzed a bilingual school in the county of Los Angeles in California. The school follows the model Two-Way Immersion or Dual Language Immersion. This model is based on the theory of linguistic minorities' integration with the dominant majority and through instruction in two languages to both groups that they become bilingual and develop attitudes of respect for other cultures. The TWI/DLImodel could be useful for some recently started bilingual/multilingual schools of our local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]