Dual language programs: multi-year instruction in English and a partner language¶

Element · All elements
Evidence · 5 claims (1 for, 4 mixed) · 5 studies (5 quant-synthesis), q2–q3 · 1 of 5 report an effect size · 5 claims rest on one study

Description¶

Dual language programs are school programs in which "classroom teachers instruct students from an early age and over multiple years in both English and a second language called the partner language." They can be one-way (one language group) or two-way (two language groups), implemented schoolwide or as a strand within a school, and the report examines programs spanning at least the elementary grades with at least 50 percent of instruction in the partner language. Programs starting with more partner-language time reduce it toward 50% by about grade 4.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Programs must span at least the elementary grades and provide at least 50 percent of instruction in the partner language to fall within the reviewed model.

Constraints¶

• Because reaching proficiency in a second language may require substantial exposure over an extended period of time, the report excludes stand-alone preschool programs and interventions below 50% partner-language instruction.

Target Learners¶

• English learners
• native English speakers in grades PK-12, most commonly K-5 or K-8

Target Learning Goals¶

• academic achievement
• bilingualism and biliteracy
• awareness and appreciation of diverse cultures

Claims¶

• The evidence base on dual language programs is thin: only two of 122 identified studies met WWC standards [~W]
• Literacy benefits of dual language programs did not extend to the English learner subsample in the strongest study [~W]
• Dual language programs improved English literacy achievement, with a potentially positive effects rating based on one study [+W]
• Dual language programs showed uncertain effects on mathematics achievement across two studies [~W]
• Dual language programs showed uncertain effects on science achievement [~W]

Related Elements¶

• Leigh Two-Way Bilingual Immersion Literacy in Two Languages program

Examples¶

• Plan dual language program resources: personnel, facilities, and partner-language materials

Key Sources¶

• What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. (2023, December). Dual language programs. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/InterventionReport/726