How DUAL IMMERSION WORKS

Dual language programs blend two language education models: an immersion program for English-only speakers and a bilingual maintenance model for English learners. Classes are each taught by one bilingual teacher. Students from the two language groups attend class together, learning from one another and supporting each other's second language acquisition. The dual language model creates an additive bilingual environment, which allows students to acquire a second language while maintaining and developing their native language. Both groups of students develop linguistic and academic competence in two languages: their native language and one more.

DIAS is a dual language or two-way bilingual immersion program where two groups of students are engaged in second language study for 5-7 years in an effort to develop high levels of bilingualism (the ability to speak fluently in both Spanish and English) and biliteracy (the ability to read and write in both languages).  
(In public immersion programs) parents are getting far more education for their kids and they are getting it for free...
- Kathryn Lindholm-Leary, PH.D.
​Instruction is aligned with Common Core, STEAM and other teaching standards.  The difference between our dual immersion program and an English-only classroom is the language used to deliver content, not the content itself. DIAS promotes academic achievement equal to that of students in non-dual language programs.

Studies show that students in two way immersion programs outperform other students in other seventh grade classes on standardized tests in math, science, and social studies. Bilingualism also promotes critical and creative thinking.
In dual language immersion programs, language learning takes place primarily through content instruction. Academic subjects are taught to all students through both English and the target language. As students and teachers work together to perform academic tasks, the students' language abilities are developed, along with their knowledge of content area subject matter.
Based on the 90:10 model in the first two grades (90% Spanish and 10% English), Dual Immersion Academy of Salinas (DIAS) students incrementally increase the amount of English to a 50:50 model in the upper grades. In addition, the school offers Smart Start, a full 100% Spanish Immersion preschool offered to three to five year-old children (no Spanish background is required) as well as a transitional kindergarten.

The Goals of Dual Immersion

Students in dual language programs are presented with the social and cognitive benefits of bilingualism. They gain a second language, a broader vocabulary, and multiple views of the world. In order to acquire these benefits, the program sets out to accomplish the following goals:
  • Develop high levels of proficiency in Spanish and English
  • Achieve grade level academic performance in Spanish and English
  • Increase the use of foreign language among monolingual groups
  • Develop children who will be more competitive in the global economy
  • Take advantage of the optimal window of learning a second language during the primary years
  • Nurture understanding of the different cultures
  • Give students an upper edge in high school, college, and the workplace
  • Develop bilingualism, biliteracy, and biculturalism
  • Develop positive cross-cultural attitudes and behavior
- The New York Times, January 2015
​Traditionally, these children (English-language learners) were taught almost exclusively in English. But new research suggests that while these students can take more time to get on grade level in a dual-language program, by late elementary or middle school they tend to perform as well as or better academically than their peers and may be more likely to be reclassified as proficient in English.

The Bilingual Advantage

Research indicates positive cognitive gains in the following areas:

Concept Formation        Classification Skills      Analogical Reasoning
Visual-Spatial Skills      Story-Telling Skills      Ability to Focus      Creativity

The Benefits of Dual Immersion

Bilingualism not only enhances cognitive development, it also increases multicultural understanding and expands educational and professional prospects. Whether students choose to engage in global opportunities or contribute to their own communities closer to home, all benefit from the bilingualism, bi-literacy and expanded multicultural perspectives that dual language programs provide. 
The educational program at Dual Immersion Academy of Salinas (DIAS) integrates native English speakers and native Spanish speakers for the entire school day, with the goals of promoting high academic achievement, first and second language development, and cross-cultural understanding for all students. 
"Our nation can only grow stronger if all of our children grow up learning two languages. Our global economy demands it; our children deserve it." 

- Former U.S. Secretary of Education, Richard W. Riley
Special thanks to Dual Language Program Advocates for supplying the above information. Sources cited on their website.