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Language Immersion programs have been widely implemented across the country and abroad for more than forty years. Research has consistently shown that language immersion education helps English-home language learners attain high levels of proficiency in a second language. A two way program, like ours in Richland Two, we meet the unique needs of our Spanish-home language learners, who come to us as emerging bilinguals. According to Thomas and Collier (2009), historically underserved students, attain greater academic success when they participate in a language immersion program.
Video: The benefits of a bilingual brain.
Cognitive Benefits
Cognitive Benefits
Bilingual learners have been found to experience the following cognitive benefits:
greater cognitive flexibility, increased attention control, better memory, and problem solving skills (Lindholm-Leary, 2001).
strong critical and divergent thinking skills, (Bialystock, 2001; Cenoz & Genesee, 1998; Hakuta, 1986)
enhanced understanding of their primary language AND greater ease in learning other languages (Cenoz & Valencia, 1994; Sanz, 2000, Fortune, 2012).
Infographic: Dual Language Immersion Learners
Academic & Socio-Cultural Benefits
Academic & Socio-Cultural Benefits
Over the years, it has been consistently found that students in a language immersion program achieve as well as or better than their non-immersion peers in the subjects of reading, math, and science. In addition, immersion students achieve higher levels of second language proficiency (leading to bilingualism) than other school models (Campbell, Gray, Rhodes & Snow, 1985; Harley, et al, 1990; Curtain & Dahlberg, 2010; Forrest, 2007, 2011; Lindholm, Leary & Howard, 2008; Fortune, 2012).
Spanish-Home Language learners in two-way programs perform better than their peers who are in English only programs (Thomas & Collier, 1997, 2002, 2012). Our program is an additive bilingual program, which strengthens and augments every child’s home language while they are gaining a second language.
All immersion learners have the opportunity to develop an understanding of and an appreciation for other cultures, develop a high level of self-esteem and experience positive interactions with people from other cultures and countries (Lightbown & Spada, 2006).
Emerging Bilinguals
Emerging Bilinguals
Newer research conducted on the effectiveness of Portland Public Schools’ immersion programs for English learners (EL) shows that there was little benefit in terms of mathematics and science performance, but also no detriment. However, by sixth and seventh grade, the probabilities of English learners in immersion programs remaining classified as EL are three to four percentage points lower than those of their counterparts. For learners whose home language matched the partner language, as it does in our program (Spanish), the effect is even stronger (Steele, et al., 2017). More importantly, it sends the strong message to our Spanish Home Language bilingual learners that their home language is important.
Infographic: No child needs to loose a language to learn a language.
Employment Benefits
Employment Benefits
Even though language immersion students spend half their academic day or more in a language other than English they tend to outperform their non-immersion peers on academic achievement tests in English (Turnbull, Hart & Lapkin 2000). In the 21st century, being able to conduct business or professional discussions in more than one language is essential. Many local and global employers need a multilingual workforce to remain competitive.
For example, the South Carolina's Department of Commerce, ranks our state as number 1 in the U.S. in the percentage of
its workforce employed by foreign affiliates with 7 percent of South Carolina’s workforce (131,900 South Carolinians) employed by international firms.
One hundred and fifty countries are served by vessels that use South Carolina’s ports, and global brands such as Sonoco (20,000 employees), Milliken (10,000 employees), Amazon, BMW, Boeing, BOSCH, and Michelin (among others) that call South Carolina home. Some of the most predominantly taught languages in South Carolina - Spanish, French, German, and Chinese (Mandarin) - are well represented in companies with strong ties to the state. For example, Mexico is South Carolina’s 4th largest export market, and Latin America represents 13 percent of the state’s total exports.
In addition to the above benefits, language immersion also offers our native Spanish speaking students, whose heritage is the partner language and culture, the opportunity to develop a positive linguistic and cultural identity that allows them to better connect with their parents, relatives and community.
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