ERIC Number: ED446450
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2000-Sep
Pages: 21
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
From a Foreign Language Perspective: A Snapshot View of a Dual Language Program in Two Inner-City High Poverty Elementary Schools.
Coy, Sherry; Litherland, Lucrecia
Dual language programs are bilingual education immersion models designed to address the needs of limited-English-proficient students and native English speakers by proving an additive language approach. In this program, English and Spanish are used for the purpose of developing bilingual and biliteracy skills. The project was structured after the 90/10 model, which provides 90 percent of instruction in Spanish and 10 percent in English instruction in kindergarten and first grade. Instruction in English is increased by 10 percent with each grade until a balance of 50/50 is reached in fifth grade. This paper provides information about this Title VII-funded program as implemented in two inner-city elementary schools. The teachers and instructional assistants foster high academic achievement by teaching content areas using both English and Spanish, and literacy skills are acquired in both languages. The structure of the class is such that English and Spanish-dominant students are placed together so that students learn from each other as well as the teacher. The results have been positive: after 2 years of dual instruction, students are performing better than expected in both language acquisition and academics. Nine references and six appendices (covering a description of Title VII, sample lessons from classroom observations, an assessment calendar, a training summary, a professional development survey, and a classroom observation checklist) are included. (KFT)
Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Bilingual Education Programs, Classroom Techniques, Elementary Education, English (Second Language), Federal Legislation, Grade 1, Immersion Programs, Kindergarten, Limited English Speaking, Poverty, Primary Education, Second Language Instruction, Second Language Learning, Spanish Speaking, Teaching Methods, Urban Education
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A