This study examined the performance of Mandarin-speaking students in a K-Grade 4 50/50 Chinese/English bilingual program. The program was intended to facilitate students' learning of English and their adjustment to English-medium instruction within the school context. The bilingual-program students were compared to students from Mandarin-speaking…

Language is a crucial factor for the academic achievement of minority people. Speaking the mother tongue in school increases self-confidence and thinking skills, and conveys freedom of speech. Mother tongue is an inseparable element of his or her culture and that everyone has the right to learn his or her mother tongue. The main objective of this…

This report summarizes existing evidence on the impact of mixed language classroom instruction, providing a summary of 2017 Austin Independent School District elementary students' performance on the state's reading test.

Four-year-old (n = 20) and five-year-old (n = 22) bilingual children were tested twice in six months on Armenian (minority language) and English (majority language) picture identification and picture naming tasks to examine receptive and expressive vocabulary growth in both languages. Parental education, Armenian/English language exposure, and…

Dual language education programs are highly beneficial for literacy and academic language development with all students, especially those who are English learners. School districts nation-wide are attempting to expand K-12 dual language programs, yet teaching and learning for biliteracy development are highly complex processes, especially with…

Dual language (DL) programs experience many tensions stemming from English hegemony in its curriculum, instruction, and assessment. These tensions often work in concert to usurp the three goals of DL programs to develop bilingualism, biliteracy, and bicultural competence while achieving grade level standards for its students. Subsequently, there…

Current literature on dual language programs is focused at the elementary school level, while research at the secondary level remains sparse. Hence, this study addresses the literature gap by considering the impact of school organization and instruction on these programs. Specifically, this collective case study examines the effective features of…

Previous research examining the reading achievement of immigrant children has often grouped English learners into one broad category, referred to as ELs, thereby creating an "either-or" dichotomy regarding whether or not these students need school language supports. The present study examined the theoretical contention regarding the…

Guided by post-structural perspectives of identities as processes of becoming and transculturation and transnationalism, this study explores how multilingual students in a Mandarin-English bilingual programme form their sense of identities in a dynamic process. Multiple forms of data are collected, including observations, interviews and documents.…

This study examined principals' knowledge and perceptions of second language programs for English language learners (ELLs) operating in their schools. An open-ended survey and in-depth interviews were used to examine elementary school principals' knowledge of the second language programs implemented at their schools. The survey asked principals…

Utah's public schools are home to an increasing number of K/1-6 dual language (DL) programs established through a state-centralized model that has sparked interest domestically and internationally. We theorize three potential constituencies of DL--maintenance, heritage, and world language--then use critical discourse analysis to examine how…

This article explores the interactional co-construction of identities among two first-grade students learning Spanish as a third language in a Spanish-English dual language classroom. Drawing on ethnographic and interactional data, the article focuses on a single interaction between these two "Spanish learners" and two of their…

The swift growth of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) has caused a diversification of CLIL models designed to fit specific contexts. Although variation across programmes is inevitable, exploring the main factors for the effective implementation of CLIL may help avoid the risk of promoting inefficient practices. The main purpose of…

In this investigation, the relationship between bilingual education program type (i.e., dual language programs or exit programs) and English Language Learner reading and mathematics test scores was examined. Data were obtained on English Language Learners who were enrolled in Grades 3, 4, 5, and 6 in Texas public schools for the 2008-2009,…

The current study compared the difference in literacy achievement of students in grades K-3 between the four different bilingual program models allowed in Texas for supporting English Language Learners (ELLs). The purpose of this quantitative study focused on the difference in literacy achievement of English Language Learners (ELLs) in…