A study examined the strategies used by a fourth-grade teacher in a two-way bilingual immersion program (English/Spanish) that contributed to students' development of academic language in Spanish. Analysis of a science lesson highlighted the use of an appropriate Spanish-language textbook and the teacher's use of visual elements, repetition,…

This article describes the development of a Spanish-spelling measure designed to assess the progress made by Spanish-English bilingual children from Grade 2 to Grade 5. Different stages of measure development are described, such as the selection of the focus features, the pilot phase of the assessment, and the finalizing of the operational…

A study examined the effects of a new Hong Kong policy requiring Chinese as the language of instruction on secondary students' learning of science. Science achievement test scores at 100 secondary schools indicate that previous use of English to teach science may have hampered students' ability to grasp material due to the high-level thinking…

Teachers in two bilingual Spanish-immersion kindergarten classrooms structured opening activities to ensure comprehension and participation of children with little or no knowledge of Spanish. Classroom routines are analyzed in terms of scaffolding provided, focusing on specific communication strategies, teacher and peer modeling of Spanish usage,…

This study examines the short-term effects of a two-way bilingual education program on the literacy development of students in kindergarten and first grade. This study compared the literacy development of two groups of children who received different proportions of instruction in English and Spanish. Both the experimental and control groups…

An exploratory study used Los Angeles' Korean/English Bilingual Immersion Project (KEBIP) to examine effects of two-way immersion on ethnic identification of third-language speakers who received no first-language support from teachers. KEBIP participants were compared with ethnically matched students from other classrooms. Third-language students…

An analysis of SAT-9 scores since passage of Proposition 227 indicates that scores increased for all students, not just for English-learning students; scores increased for most districts regardless of the programs implemented; it was not possible to isolate the impact of Proposition 227; and SAT-9 is not an appropriate measure for assessing…

Students in a grade 2-3, two-way bilingual classroom increased their understanding of scientific practice through a model-based methodology for science instruction. Students collaborated with peers and teachers to create computer models, construct physical models, and talk about their models in the classroom. Aspects of second language usage in…

Using the language experience approach, the role of elicited response in second language learning was examined among 45 preschool children in a dual language program. The conditions, variables, and social influences that affect second language acquisition of dominant and minority languages are discussed, as well as the implications of different…

A study examined 19 families' perspectives in an American Sign Language (ASL)-English early childhood bilingual classroom. Family attitudes changed due to a balanced presentation from hearing and deaf perspectives, learning that the entire family could become bilingual, encouragement to interact with the deaf community, and the presentation of ASL…

Six Canadian Anglophone high school students were studied for 10 months after they chose to enroll in a French immersion pilot program in Alberta. Although students varied in achievement level, all students and parents referred to "feelings of success" as a factor in remaining in the immersion program. Limitations of the program are…

This article summarizes the results from the first statewide study of two-way immersion (TWI) programs for English language learners. The survey was conducted electronically with 304 Texas bilingual/English as a Second Language directors in districts that serve English language learners. Data are reported for the following research question: What…

Dual language education programs have become extremely popular. Although these programs share common characteristics, they vary in several respects. Programs use different languages and include students with varying characteristics. For instance, many of these programs include students with fluent English proficiency and those with limited English…

A study examined parental support for bilingual education in the face of political debate. Surveys of 1,043 parents of children attending 10 dual-language programs in Colorado found that parents understood the purpose of these programs, freely chose the programs, and believed they were effective. Spanish-speaking parents responded more positively…

A participatory research project examined the transformative process that a first-grade two-way Spanish immersion classroom underwent to build a community of learners. Drawing on a critical pedagogy framework, the teacher provided daily opportunities to engage young students in dialogue to develop their voices and created a literacy-rich…