While America is becoming increasingly diverse, educational stakeholders seek programs that address varied language and cultural needs, which is reflected by the growing popularity of dual language immersion (DLI) programs in recent decades. The problem is an extensively persistent academic achievement gap between students with native English and…

One in five school-age children in the U.S. speaks a language other than English at home (Zeigler & Camarota, 2014). Roughly half of these emerging bilingual students (Garcia, 2009) are classified as English learners (ELs) when they enter school, meaning they do not meet state or district criteria for English proficiency (NCES, 2015). As the…

This paper investigates the differences in academic achievement trajectories from elementary through middle school among English Learner students in four different instructional programs: English Immersion, Transitional Bilingual, Developmental Bilingual, and Dual Immersion programs. Comparing students with the same parental preferences but who…

This literature review will take a focused look at the three currently accepted theoretical foundations upon which two-way bilingual immersion programs are based. Through an examination of research on identity construction in childhood and adolescence, particularly as seen through a critical pedagogical lens, it proposes that there exists a fourth…

The aim of the study was to investigate how successfully pupils had learned content in content and language integrated learning (CLIL) and to assess pupils' affective learning factors, such as motivation and self-esteem, in CLIL. Learning was presented in terms of achievement level, which was described as the relationship between measured levels…

The Carpinteria Preschool Spanish Immersion Project was developed to bring Spanish speaking children to a level in school readiness skills that matched English dominant children upon entrance to kindergarten. A description of the program and its effectiveness is offered. (DF)

A partial immersion bilingual (English-Ukrainian) program which included Grades 1 to 3 was examined to determine: (1) the program students' achievement in mathematics, English and Ijrainian; (2) the attitudes of parents and program personnel toward the program; (3) the program students' level of cognitive development; and (4) reasons students left…

Examines essential components of quality two-way bilingual immersion programs. Discusses language acquisition research underlying context-embedded content-area instruction in a second language; research on the benefits of bilingualism in terms of academic, cognitive, and metalinguistic development; and the link between bilingualism and positive…

Reviews educational research on bilingual education and describes biases present in recent evaluations of bilingual programs. Contrary to assumptions about bilingual programs, recent findings suggest that native-language programs may be very effective. They support a strong foundation in the native language and set the basis for subsequent…

Evaluation of a half-day French immersion kindergarten program assessed the English and French language development of participating students and found that pupils who spent half their academic time in foreign language classrooms progressed just as well in English as did matching controls who spent all day in English language classrooms.…

One of the aims of Maori-medium education is to address Maori language loss. One of the challenges facing Maori-medium educators is to identify configurations that acknowledge the substantive importance of English language instruction without detracting from the priority that must be given to the regeneration of the Maori language. Issues…

The academic achievement of limited-English-speaking (LEP) students has long been a major national educational concern. This digest focuses on: (1) factors that promote or inhibit academic achievement in a second language; (2) the length of time needed for LEP students to achieve at comparable levels in school with their native English-speaking…

In 1973-75, as a result of federal grants, the four major boards of education in Ontario experimented with different approaches to the teaching of French, and an evaluation of the experimental programs was also undertaken. The present report is an overview and evaluation of the entire research effort. Three approaches to French instruction have…

In the fall of 1971, a Spanish immersion program was initiated in kindergarten at the Linwood Howe Elementary School in Culver City, California. The original (pilot) group was in grade 2 at the time of this study, which focused on the pilot group in grade 2 and the follow-up group at grade 1. The major questions examined were: (1) Are the students…

This research concerns the French immersion program and the program of 60 minutes of French instruction daily introduced by the Ottawa Roman Catholic Separate School Board at the first grade level. A longitudinal evaluation of the effects of these programs compares language proficiency, linguistic development, social maturity, academic…