Language status in two-way bilingual immersion

Abstract

Research has shown that two-way bilingual immersion (TWBI) programs provide positive outcomes for all students to become bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural. Yet, studies have shown that there can be challenges in student-tostudent interaction in TWBI programs. This study reports on peer interaction dynamics during content instruction in two 90/10 programs through lesson observations, teacher interviews, and reflections. Teachers in Grades 4-6 provided their perspectives concerning the status of English and Spanish in their classrooms. Teachers also shared instructional strategies to support students' progress in Spanish. This study presents important instructional implications for sociocultural and sociolinguistic goals pertaining to English and Spanish speakers in TWBI programs.Spanish abstract at end.

The Unique Skills and Traits of Principals in One‐Way and Two‐Way Dual Immersion Schools

“…The one remaining trait—the need for a dual immersion principal to have studied or to speak a second language—had a mean of 1.86 (see Table ). Dual immersion principals’ ratings on these items confirmed previous research concerning the critical skills and traits of school leaders in dual immersion settings (Coffman, ; Hellawell, ; Hernandez, ; Hunt, , Valdes, ).…”

“… Notes : These traits and skills were found in the following research studies (Coffman, ; Hellawell, ; Hernandez, ; Hunt, , Valdes, ). Pearson chi‐square values showed no significant differences between one‐way and two‐way principals at the 95% confidence level.…”

“…The survey (Phase I) included 19 demographic questions related to the principals themselves and the schools in which they worked. Another 14 items that addressed leadership traits and skills were included; these item traits were drawn from previous studies of such traits and skills (Coffman, ; Hellawell, ; Hernandez, ; Hunt, , Valdes, ). Respondents rated the importance of each trait and skill on a Likert scale from “not important” (1) to “extremely important” (5).…”

“…In two‐way programs, roughly half of the students speak the target language and are learning English as their second language, while the other half, who speak English as a primary language, are learning the target language. In two‐way dual immersion schools, native and nonnative speakers of each language are grouped together so that both can benefit from each other's expertise and support (Hernandez, ). In addition, both two‐way and one‐way dual immersion programs view learners’ native cultures as an asset (Valdes, ).…”

Un autoanálisis crítico para docentes de la enseñanza bilingüe: Ideología, pedagogía, acceso y equidad (IPAE)

“…La preferencia al uso del inglés durante la clase de español afecta la riqueza lingüística de los hispanohablantes y marchita la vitalidad del idioma español dentro del salón de clases (Hernández, 2011(Hernández, , 2015. Los docentes de DLE tienen que ser conscientes de la preferencia del idioma durante las actividades y encontrar maneras para mantener la equidad lingüística.…”