News: Utah becomes a national leader in dual language instruction

Efforts of leaders and educators in Utah to bolster language programs have boomed with dual language immersion programs, which begin in first grade, in nearly half of the state's 41 school districts. Depending on the school, students spend half their day in English speaking classes and the other half learning in French, Spanish, Portuguese and Mandarin, with officials planning to offer German and discussing the possibility of classes in Arabic. You can read more about the evolving programs in Utah via the link below:

Utah becomes a national leader in dual language instruction

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News: Colo. immersion school experiences rapid growth

More immersion programs are in the spotlight.

Parents interested in enrolling their children in Dual Immersion Academy in Grand Junction, Colo., now must use the district's lottery system. "[L]ast year we saw a big jump in the interest level and this year we actually have more parents than last year showing interest in enrolling their child to dual immersion," principal Monica Heptner said. She attributes growth, in part, to an expanded interest in preparing students for life in an increasingly global society. You can read more about this dual immersion program via the article linked below.

Colo. immersion school experiences rapid growth

Does your school or district offer dual immersion?


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News: Mass. school offers dual immersion

Increasingly, schools are expanding their language learning offerings and there are ever more grade school and even kindergarten offerings. A recent example is Milford Catholic Elementary School in Massachusetts, which will start a new bilingual education initiative for kindergartners this fall. The school is launching the curriculum through a program affiliated with the National Catholic Educational Association and Boston College. Students will start speaking Spanish 90% of the day, and the school will introduce more English into the school day each subsequent year. Annette Smith, a school board member mentions that "at this age, children are like sponges." Additionally, "when they learn a language at a younger age they are more likely to become fluent." You can read more about this exciting program via the article linked below:

Mass. school offers dual immersion

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News: U.S. schools and dual-language pre-K programs

A recent report from the Center for American Progress on serving the needs of disadvantaged children in the U.S. concludes that public education must adapt to the rising number of children from non-English backgrounds. You can read more about their report and its findings via the article linked below:

U.S. schools should provide more dual-language pre-K programs

News: Dual-language immersion also a challenge for parents

Dual-language immersion presents many challenges and not just for students. For English-speaking parents, it presents a significant challenge as it may prove difficult to help children with their assignments if they are in another language. Nevertheless, advocates of dual-language immersion programs say that it is worth it. You can read more about the challenges of dual-language immersion in the article linked below:

Dual-language immersion is also a challenge for parents

Do you have experience with dual-language immersion programs? What do you view as pros and cons of such programs?

News: Conn. school expands dual language instruction

New Canaan High School in Connecticut launched a Mandarin program five years ago, and now the district is expanding those offerings to middle school students. Starting in the next school year, students in 6th grade will begin a three year language course sequence. The students will also have the option to continue their studies of Mandarin in high school. You can read more in the article below:

Conn. Dual Language Instruction Expands

News: Minnesota elementary school offers dual-immersion program

The Little Canada Elementary School in Minnesota is set to offer a dual-immersion program. Although the program is dual-immersion, it offers a significant twist. Instead of a typical immersion program, where a class of English speakers is immersed in a curriculum taught entirely in a foreign language, this dual-immersion program will have both English and Spanish speakers in one class.You can read more information in the article below:

Minnesota dual-immersion

News: Dealing with challenges in multiple langauges

There are close to 100 dual-language programs in New York City a recent article reports. About 91% of the students enrolled in those schools are Latino and about 45% are labeled as English Language Learners. Advocates for the programs cite the fact that students are gaining fluency in both languages. However, the students still struggle on city-wide exams. You can read more about these issues facing dual-language programs by following the link below:


Dealing with challenges in multiple languages

News: California School District Creating Dual Language Programs for all Schools

A recent article in the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the National City School District is close to implementing a bilingual education program available to students at every school by year's end. The San Diego area district now employs a 90-10 split between English and Spanish. For more information you can view the full article below:


California School District Creating Dual Language Programs

News: Wisconsin School Mixes Spanish and English in dual language classes

Racine Unified school district in Wisconsin offers several classes in grades K-5 in which students spend the entire day learning in both Spanish and English. The dual language method allows Spanish speakers to learn in their native tongue while still acquiring English with the stated goal being 'bilingual biliteracy.' You can find the full article in the link below:

Dual language classes in Wisconsin

News: Spanish classes starting at an early age in San Antonio

The number of children in the San Antonio area learning Spanish through immersion and dual language programs is growing rapidly. Teachers and parents both recognize the need for bilingual education. Public schools in the area are also increasing their Spanish offerings. For more information, check the article link below:

Spanish immersion and dual language programs in San Antonio

News: French Language Programs on the rise in NYC

Hello all, Chris here with your language news. French Language programs are rapidly increasing in NYC. Five years ago there were no such programs, now there are several dual-language programs which, as the article below points out, is due to an increase in the number of French living there. The full article can be found via the link below:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303657404576357530634161852.html?mod=dist_smartbrief