EFFECTS OF SPANISH/ ENGLISH DUAL LANGUAGE EDUCATION ON NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS

A RESEARCH BRIEF FOR PARENTS OF ENGLISH SPEAKERS CONSIDERING DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

We often hear about the positive effects dual language education has on English language learners, but what about their native English speaking counterparts? There is concern that this type of education may have negative effects for these students. This brief looks into the academic and social effects that dual language instruction may have on the native English speakers.

ASPECTS OF A SUCCESSFUL DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM

Research suggests that programs should provide a minimum of 4 to 6 years of bilingual instruction [for] participating students. They should always provide optimal language input (comprehensible, interesting, and of sufficient quantity) as well as opportunities for output. The target language should be used for instruction a minimum of 50% of the time (to a maximum of 90% in the early years) and English should be used at least 10 % of the time (Christian, 1996).

WHAT IS DUAL LANGUAGE EDUCATION?

A brief overview
Dual language education, also called dual immersion or two-way immersion, is a type of program that integrates English language learners with the same native language (e.g., Spanish) with native English speakers in a classroom setting in which instruction is given in both languages. There are two main types of dual language programs: the 90:10 model and the 50:50 model. The 90:10 model begins with 90 percent of the daily instruction given in the target (non-English) language and the last 10 percent in English. This ratio changes by 10 percent every year until it reaches 50 percent for each language. The 50:50 model begins with instruction at 50 percent in each language and stays that way throughout all of the grade levels. The goals of these types of programs include high levels of bilingualism and biliteracy, academic achievement, and crosscultural competence for all students (Lindholm-Leary, 2012). The majority of dual language programs in the United States have an English and Spanish combination, the rest of this brief will focus on this combination.
July 1, 2013 [Edition 1, Volume 1]

HIGH LEVELS OF BILINGUALISM AND BILITERACY, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, AND CROSSCULTURAL COMPETENCE

A Research brief for parents of English speakers considering dual language programs

ACADEMIC EFFECTS
What does the literature say?
Pros In elementary school, students in dual language programs perform at or above grade level on English standardized tests in reading and mathematics, and they score similar to their statewide peers by about grades 5-7 if not sooner (Lindholm-Leary, 2012). They also achieve similar success in reading and math tests in the target language (LindholmLeary, 2012). A 2012 study showed that the majority of dual language education students achieve proficiency in both languages by the upper elementary grades. Although Native English Speaking students were usually more dominant in English, they had higher levels of Spanish proficiency when placed in 90:10 programs than in 50:50 programs (Lindholm-Leary, 2012). In middle school and high school, students that had been enrolled in a dual language program in elementary were more likely to take high level math courses and less likely to drop out of school (LindholmLeary, 2012). Barnett, Yarosz, Thomas, Jung & Blanco, 2007, indicated that native English speaking students in dual immersion programs improved their Spanish language (target language) development without any losses in their English language learning. In a study by Cobb, Vega, and Kronauge in 2006, on the effects of a dual language immersion on junior high school achievement, results showed that the greatest effect on native English speaking students was increased skill in reading than that of their Spanish native peers. Cons Research shows that the amount of exposure to the target language alone does not explain the language-learning outcomes for native English speaking students in these types of programs (Lindholm-Leary, 2012). So this means that simply being exposed to the language does not imply that the native English speaker will learn the target language, there must be other things in play such as plenty of opportunities for language output. Having opportunities to practice speaking the language is a very important component for a successful dual language program (Christian, 1996). Genesee, 2004 indicates that native English speakers in a dual language program may need 1 to 2 years to catch up to their native English speaking counterparts in a traditional program on achievement tests in English. This demonstrates that although the research does show that dual language students show equal if not higher achievement levels than their peers, it may not be the case for the first few years of the program (Lindholm-Leary, 2012). While there are some concerns that native English speakers learning academic content in two languages puts those students at a disadvantage when compared to their peers that attend traditional schools, most studies showed that those who attended dual language programs performed as well, if not higher, as those who attended traditional schools by the higher elementary grades.

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SOCIAL EFFECTS
Most of the research surrounding dual language education focuses on the academic achievement aspect of the programs, but what about the students social relationships?
Will language be an issue for the English speaker to be able to form relationship with peers? A student teacher conducted a field observation of a kindergarten Spanish/English dual immersion classroom during center time. She found that language barriers were not an issue for students to create positive relationships with their peers. Native Spanish speakers and native English speakers in participated in partner activities all around the classroom. Both parties in the partnerships helped and supported each other in order to successfully complete the task at hand. Later in the school year, a survey about writing strategies was given to the students. This survey was given to understand which strategies were being used by the students. Results showed that native English speaking students reported using the same amount of strategies as their Spanish speaking counterparts. In an interview with a third grade dual immersion teacher it was brought up that by the time students get to third grade they start to like the English language more and want to speak it more with their peers than they do Spanish. Will native English speakers have a difficult time adjusting to instruction in a language they dont know? When asked about academic success of the native English speakers throughout the year, the third grade teacher commented that she believes the achievement gap is not based on language, but based on home life and their experiences at home. She went on to talk about two native English speaking students in her class who had very different experiences in language development. One student had high parental support and was very high in both languages; meanwhile another English speaker had low parental support and had low skills in both English and Spanish. This teachers advice to parents considering dual language programs is to provide as much language support as possible in both English and the target language, if possible, so that the child is receiving adequate exposure to language in school as well as outside of school. In an interview with a kindergarten dual immersion teacher it was mentioned that the social response depends on the child and not the language. All students will be apprehensive at first, but most quickly adapt. The teacher also mentioned that her classroom setup is strategic; She make[s] sure English and Spanish speakers are mixed to help each other with the language. In kindergarten she believes the greatest difference between the two groups of students is oral language. Spanish natives are able to freely discus the books we read aloud, while the English natives needed sentence frames in order to discuss the books. In the beginning of the year native English speakers use English to answer questions, but as vocabulary is learned, they begin to piece together their Spanish responses. She also suggests providing plenty of home support is crucial for the childs success in a dual language program.

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For the future
parents who are trying to decide Unfortunately the research on the effects of dual language programs on the native English learner is limited; the majority of research focuses on the native speakers of the target language. The majority of the research also focuses on the academic effects, but not socio-emotional effects. These are important topics that should be further researched in order to ensure that these types of programs are providing the adequate supports for all students both in the academic and social aspects of school life. This issue is one of concern for whether a dual language setting is right for their child. This topic also pertains to teachers and administrators who are a part of dual language programs so that they are aware of the types of outcomes the programs have on their native English speaking population. Both parents and educators need to know what types of supports are needed for the students at home and in the classroom. Research and literature on the topic would also provide more rationale for continuing dual language education programs. The key thing to keep in mind with respect to dual language programs is the understanding that the full development of the native English speakers language progress will be made by the upper elementary grades. Also, as was suggested by dual language instructors, providing plenty of support in both languages, if possible, is something that can help students succeed in this type of educational setting.

Barnett, W. S., Yarosz, D. J., Thomas, J., Jung, K., & Blanco, D. (2007). Two-way and monolingual english immersion in preschool education: An experimental comparison. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 22(3), 277-293. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchVa lue_0=EJ782965&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ782965 Christian, D. (1996). Two-way immersion education: Students learning through two languages. The Modern Language Journal, Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/329058?uid=3739560&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=211025277 09937 Cobb, B., Vega, D., & Kronauge, C. (2006). Effects of an elementary dual language immersion school program on junior high school achievement. Middle Grades Research Journal, 1(1), 27-47. Retrieved from https://eweb.psdschools.org/documentlibrary/downloads/Research_and_Evaluation/PSDRelated_Research_Reports/Peer-Reviewed_Publications/Effects of an Elementary Dual Language Immersion_School_Program_on_Junior_High_School_Achievement.pdf Genesse, F. (2004). What do we know about bilingual education for majoritylanguage students?. The Handbook of Bilingualism, 547 - 576. Retrieved from http://www.psych.mcgill.ca/perpg/fac/genesee/HDBK BILINGUAL EDUCATION.pdf Lindholm-Leary, K. (2012). Success and challenges in dual language education. Theory Into Practice, 51(4), 256-262. Retrieved from ttp://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2012.726053