The focus of dual language immersion programs is to help students become proficient in English and another language (the target language) while mastering subject content across all disciplines. In immersion programs, language is not taught as a subject, it is the medium in which core instruction is delivered.

Research shows the most effective way for children to acquire a second language is to integrate instruction into the standard curriculum children are already learning. Furthermore, ​students in immersion classrooms outperform students in traditional language classes​, do as well as or better than non-immersion students on standardized tests and have a greater appreciation of cultural diversity.

The two models you will currently find in Participate Learning dual language programs.

• One-way immersion (or full immersion), a type of DL/I education that serves students primarily from the majority language group for instruction in both languages. In the U.S. the majority language is typically English so one-way immersion has mostly native English-speaking students. Instruction in all subjects is delivered in the other language, and English Language Arts is introduced in grade 2 (sometimes sooner).  

  The students become bilingual (listening and speaking in both languages), biliterate (reading and writing in both languages) and multicultural, and are equally proficient in both languages, with near-native fluency in the target language.

• Two-way immersion, a type of DL/I education that combines students from two language groups for instruction in both of their languages, has been in existence for nearly 40 years and is especially beneficial for students who are Multilingual Learners (MLs), former ELs, or heritage language learners (students whose home-language is the target language).  

  Instruction is provided both in English and another language on alternate days, according to academic subjects, or according to a daily schedule (morning in one language and afternoon in the other).

There are a variety of models, and percentages like 90/10 and 50/50 are used to refer to how much of the instruction at different grade levels is conducted in the target language versus how much is given in English. For example, one school might have 90/10 in K-1 and then move to 50/50 for grades 2-5, while another school starts at 50/50 in kindergarten and continues with that through grade 5.

It is important to note that schools may slide up and down the scale of immersion, meaning that students may move from 90/10 to 50/50 given specific school situations and student populations.

Many elementary immersion programs transition into middle school. Middle school students continuing with immersion studies will generally take one or two classes aiming to further develop more advanced language skills and in some cases may also include learning a content area such as social studies in that second language.

The goal of a transitional middle school dual language immersion program is to prepare children to participate and succeed in more advanced language studies and even to access a third language in high school.

Immersion programs may be offered through a neighborhood school or part of a larger district choice or magnet plan. Once you have identified an immersion program you would like to participate in, contact the school or attend an information session, complete the registration form or intent to participate, and follow the process established to complete the registration process.

Typically schools will collect all intent to participate or registration forms, process them and inform you of assignment of a slot for your child. In some cases, there may be more families interested than slots available in a given year, so please ask your principal how they handle high demand for the program. Also, if you are outside of the school zone where the immersion program is hosted, inquire about your district’s transfer policies as well as how they accommodate school age siblings.

Two-way immersion programs may admit new students through the upper grades based on target language proficiency and English literacy skills. In full immersion programs, new students are typically not admitted beyond the first semester of first grade. Check with your school district to see what type of immersion program is available and how to get more information about the admissions process.

Yes, DL/I is for all students! Research shows that immersion education can be effective for a wide variety of learners, including academically/intellectually gifted students, non-native English speakers, students with exceptionalities and students from varying socioeconomic backgrounds.

Check with your school district to learn more about language immersion programs offered. The most wide-spread immersion programs in the U.S. are Spanish immersion programs, though there are also immersion programs in languages such as French, German, Mandarin, Japanese and Korean. Participate Learning currently supports programs in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.

You are right. Starting school is a transition, especially for those who have not had pre-school experiences already. Learning to go to school and understand school procedures and routines is a major change, but it can happen in any language. The sooner a child is exposed to other languages, the more comfortable they’ll be and they’ll attain higher levels of proficiency in the target language. The high use of props, puppets and gestures at this early age benefits language learning. When you watch your child responding to his or her kindergarten teacher’s instructions and conversing with his/her classmates in another language, you will begin to understand the benefits.

Like any kindergarten child, your child will be tired at the end of the school day, and it is even more exhausting when processing a new language. If you are worried your child is not enjoying school or thriving in the immersion environment, talk to the teacher and principal. Most students respond well to an immersion program, as they are made to feel secure right from the start and, after the first few weeks, they do not focus on the fact that the teacher is not speaking English. Parents should give it at least a year to see if the child responds better after getting through the transition of being in school.

In kindergarten, you will often hear children speaking or responding to teachers in English. However, their teachers will be speaking only in the target language to them, using a lot of gestures and tools to convey messages. Good immersion teachers will encourage new language learners to respond in the target language by giving them the needed vocabulary to mimic. Teachers will not revert to English unless safety or emergency necessitates. Good immersion teachers, by the middle of first grade, will insist on no English in the immersion classroom. Students will quickly realize an easy way out if they are able to speak any English (except in emergencies) with their teacher.

No. All state-mandated assessments, like the EOGs, will be taken in English.

In a full immersion program, your child will get dedicated English Language Arts instruction typically beginning in second grade (sometimes sooner). Immersion students typically receive about an hour of English Language Arts daily. Literacy skills and patterns learned in one language will help the development of skills in another language.

The most important thing you can do at home is read to your child in your native language (or in the language you feel more comfortable with). Reading in any language supports the acquisition of reading skills such as fluency, vocabulary building and comprehension.

Your child’s homework should support what he has learned in class, so students should be able to tackle the assignment on their own. You will be able to identify what skill is being addressed and support learning in the skill, even if you can only help in English. Homework should not be a struggle. If it is, please talk with your child’s teacher.

There is a lot you can do! Be a strong parent advocate. Start an immersion parent group to support and educate one another, share successes, challenges and ideas to make the program outstanding at your school. Recruit for your school. Spread the word. Tell all your friends what you know about the program. Post it on social media. It will be important for the health of the program at your child’s school to maintain healthy numbers in the immersion classrooms. Your school should have a waitlist at all times so that any vacancies are immediately filled. Fundraise for a bilingual library. A school can never have enough Spanish or Mandarin books. Host a holiday book drive. Purchase books for the classroom or school library and encourage other parents to do the same.

Also, check in with your teacher regarding volunteer activities. It is important that volunteers maintain the no English in the immersion classroom rule to prevent inconsistent practices and to build the children’s confidence that they can learn to understand in the immersion language. We don’t want adult visitors or volunteers to send the message that speaking English is an option in the immersion classroom. Here are some ideas for volunteers who do not speak the target language:

• Select activities and games in which a volunteer may be able to help in the classroom using only non-verbal communication.
• Provide tasks that can be completed outside of the classroom, such as materials preparation, bulletin board preparation and newsletter formatting.
• After English instruction has been introduced, suggest after school one-on-one or small group tutoring for children struggling with English language arts concepts.