Monday, July 15, 2002

Dual Language 101 for New Dual Language Schools Tenets of Dual Language Education Two -Way Bilingual Education Juntos into the Future by Rosa Molina Research is begun on tracking former dual language school graduates. This is a serious business. Children's have a great capacity to learn more than 1 language. There are schools that truely follow the tenets of dual language models but, others call themselves dual language in order to get funding or really just practice dual language Lite. --- Movement is started in Florida by Cubans. Anglo parents started to send their students to these school because they noticed the benefits. (Center for Applied Linguistices 2001) - Early 1980's California Two way programs. 160 programs in 26 states Half are here in California with 131 programs, 67 school districts, in 5 languages. ( California Department of Education Language Policy Office 2002) --- Two Way Program Goals High levels oral language proficiency a literacy in both Spanish and English. High academic achievement Develpment of cross-cultural understanding and pro-social skills. Definitions Different bilingual program have different linguistic outcomes Different models needed because of varying student populations and community conditions. Structured English Immersion Mobile students Bilingual Transition option Collier and Thomas Research 8 year effort. Two Way Bilingual Immersion Combines native speakers of a target language with English speaking students to develop a second language (bilingualism and biliteracy) for both groups of students. Special Considerations for mostly Latino schools. Have to explain that classroom was linguistically balanced. Bilingualism in the US Language is not neutral! Language is not neutral! Most countries value the learning of more than one language - addidtive bilingualism U.S. devalues bilingualism - supports subtractive programs. Kathyrn Lindolm, David Dotson, Tove Skutnabb-Kangas, Donna Christian Rational for TWBI Programs Additive bilingual environment for all students Second Language best acquired by language minority students when first language established Knowledge learned through one language facilitates acquistion of second language Students will benefit from cognitgive advantages with development fo bilingualism and biliteracy. immersion vs submersion submersion is a subtractive process Primary language is at risk monollingualism is the end result Immersion is an additive process Second language is added Bilingualism is the end result. ---- River Glen School Teachers are certified with high levels of Spanish. Middle school teachers are Spanish and ESL proficient. -- Salient Features Program Duration 5-7 years ( elememtary + middle school) Adequate exposure to second language. (academic register) Focus on academic achievement (state standards and curriculum and the only difference is linguistic modifications) Monolingual delivery (teacher will stay only in one language) Educators must Positive and reciprocal climate Home/school collaboration (take care of parents from the get go) Quality of instructional personnel Increasing the minority status of the language for all students (4th Grade - why is bilingualism important - careers) There should be a Montessori feel in that parents and teachers must respect the learning of the students. ---- Answer to Question regarding schools with very large Latino Spanish Speaking Schools. implications for All Latino Schools - Special considerations or heritage language schools. 12:13:48 PM     Bilitural competency makes children competent to live and work in multicultural society. Cross Cultural Competent Build Friendships across curltures and race Multicultural nation but not a fair nation. Teachers work at the hear of the battle. Political issues are being fought out in schools across the nation Public in general does not understand our movement California lost 2/3 of Bilingual Programs High stakes testing and validity fo tests for LEP students Heritage language and cross cultural compentencies are seen as luxuries. Alienation is a real problem for middle school and high school students. One is asked to drop their first language in order be "accepted" as Americans. Yet the media gives subtle messages anyway that they are the "other". Public Schools are toxic. Hurt family relationships by making the language divide. ---- The window of opportunity is very small. A lot is riding on the work being done now. Good data should be collected for further supporting bilingual education. We must be self - critical in order to make sure student learning advances. Dual language educators need to reach out and link to parents, young people who are alienated, educators outside of dual language bilingual educators, and communities seek an alternative way. ---- Across the nation their are programs and spaces for students to maintain their heritage and language despite the great challenges they face in implenting them. ---- Cambodians in Fresno, who had already suffered the cultural pogom under Pol Pot, have found a strong need here to redefine and rediscover who they are as a people. Alienation leaves people with a ... Without maintaining the heritage cultural and language will prevent the passage of memory from one generation to another, will prevent profund and necessary communication of wisdom, values and affection that is necessary between generations. --- Native American have a great challenge to recover centuries of damage doen to them by our American. There great challenge is to recover their language. Rough Rock school for and by navahos is an example of this fight for preservation. Cajun's in Louisianna have a state department that looks to preserving their French language. Any system or school that makes students ashamed of their families is very destructive and evil. 83,000 thousand students are learning French with the support of the state. They face similar challenges in changing curriculum to make higher scores on high stakes testing. === There will be a need for school's to collaborate in order to support each other on this journey. The importance of Title 7 Federal grants makes dual language programs possible to retool teachers with the necessary professional development. Alientation leads to children, teenagers, and adults to anti-social behaviors. 11:33:49 AM

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