Best Practices in Dual-Language Programs

By Auguste Meyrat
Dual-language (DL) instruction is like any other kind of instruction, in
that the same strategies that works for one discipline will likely work
for another. Even if the approach to language acquisition is different
from other bilingual programs, the fundamentals of good teaching
remain the same. As with any other successful educational program,
an effective DL program requires well-qualified teachers, instructional
consistency, regular assessment and feedback, and frequent practice
(Castro, Paez, Dickinson, & Frede, 2011). If done well, a DL program
can help create big improvements in bilingual education; if done
poorly, it will soon revert to less effective forms of English remediation
(Freeman, 2000).
As mentioned, most DL programs start with a 90:10 model, in which
the teacher will instruct ninety percent of his or her content (in all
subject areas, not just language arts) in the native language of the
students, and ten percent in the new language currently being
acquired. Eventually, the students would transition into a 50:50 model
in which half the instruction would be in the native language and the
other in English.
Ideally, such a program would begin in the early grades of elementary
school when the vocabulary and content would not be necessarily
simplified for the purposes of language comprehension (Castro, Paez,
Dickinson, & Frede, 2011). For example, a native English speaker will
be in the same class with English language learner (ELL), and at the
beginning, their teacher will have to use a very basic form of English
and the ELLs language in order to have the two students follow along
in some meaningful way. An administrator hoping to implement the
program must be careful that neither group is under-challenged or
over-challenged, but that both continue to build fluency in their native
language as well as the new one. In many cases, one must prioritize
either teaching a foreign language to English speakers or teaching
English to ELLs, thus resulting in mixed success for the students
general education (Valdez, 1997).
Most of the success of a DL program rest on the teacher. Besides
having a mastery of two languages, the teacher must create an
environment that helps encourage both groups of learners. The beauty
of DL instruction versus remediation programs is that ELL students do
not need to feel like outsiders. Rather, they feel as though they are
part of something, and this has practical consequences for the
students learning. However, it is important to give time to the program
since it may take a few years or more before the benefits of the

program bear fruit. As stated by a DL teacher, when I came here 10

years ago, the scores of the bilingual kids were not passing, I
remember that. Then the first year they tested the kids from the duallanguage program, they didnt do well. But from that next year on, the
kids just started doing better, not only passing but doing really well
(Ray, 2009).
For this reason, continuing education is fundamental in the ensuring a
quality DL program. DL teachers are still teachers, so, like anyone else,
they will do well to incorporate the best practices in teaching (Dejesus,
2008; Alanis & Rodriguez, 2008). As Valdez notes in Dual Language
Immersion Programs: A Cautionary Note Concerning the Education of
Language-Minority Students, the language of the classroom is only
one element among many in a students learning (Valdez, 1997). If
math instruction is poor in English, using the same strategies in
Spanish will not necessarily make it better.
Additionally, parent involvement is also an important part of an
effective DL program. Iliana Alanis and Mariela Rodriguez remark in
their study of City Elementarys successful DL program that parents
whose children are enrolled in an immersion program tend to have
high levels of involvement whereas parents of students in typical
bilingual programs are less involved than normal (Alanis & Rodriguez,
2008). Because the philosophy of DL programs is to promote
bilingualism and an appreciation for diversity, it is quite natural that
parents of ELLs want to help in some way. DL programs value what
these parents can offer, as opposed to other bilingual programs that
tend to denigrate, both implicitly and explicitly, their contributions to
the students education (Pankake & Littleton, 125).
Many DL programs have proven their effectiveness, not only in student
wellbeing but in measurable assessment as well. Students at a school
in Ourtown, a site in the Northeast United States with a majority of
ELLs, experienced great progress in overall academic performance
(Dejesus, 2008). Bienvenidos Elementary in South Texas also saw
tremendous improvements with their students (Ray, 2009). Likewise,
City Elementary, located in the same area, was able to turn around the
downward trends with their students (Alanis & Rodriguez, 2008). Many
more examples of success exist besides these, and an abundance of
research done on DL programs has more than validated the approach
(Castro, Paez, Dickinson, & Frede, 2011).
For good reason, DL is an attractive option for schools hoping to
improve the learning outcomes for mixed student populations. Done
properly, it can harness the strengths of students diverse abilities and
knowledge and channel these into a powerful educational dynamic.