October 21, 2008
Dual-language program proven beneficial to young learners
ISU researchers develop curriculum for innovative teaching, learning method
The Spanish two-way immersion program creates a unique learning environment for English- and Spanish-speaking students. |
By
Laura Dillavou
From an early age, children are encouraged to develop skills in reading, writing, math, and science, but rarely are they exposed to these subjects in languages other than their own. The National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC) at Iowa State University is working with schools to change that, one classroom at a time.
Marcia Rosenbusch, NFLRC director, saw a need for dynamic, high-quality research in the area of K-12 language programs for children in primary grades. When a colleague from the Iowa Department of Education approached her about expanding educational resources for English-language learners, Rosenbusch, who also serves as an ISU adjunct associate professor in curriculum and instruction, saw an opportunity to help the state’s young students. In 2006, Rosenbusch received funding from the U.S. Department of Education to conduct a four-year research project, focusing on “Spanish two-way immersion.”
“The teachers work very hard the first several weeks of kindergarten to orient the kids and set up a routine so there is always something familiar to students when they are learning [in two-way immersion],” Kaptain said. “The idea is that the students understand the skills and concepts and gain knowledge without having to be dependent on language. When children are given visuals and student-centered instruction, the concepts are more accessible to them. A five-year-old may not necessarily understand the entirety of what’s going on, but they take that in stride because they understand the context they are in and the general gist of what they are supposed to do.”
Contrary to popular belief, research suggests that English-language learners master reading, writing, and speaking in English better when they also receive instruction in their native language. The more proficient students become in their own language, the more skills they develop in the second language, said Kaptain. A critical element for children is learning to read in their native language because the knowledge transfers from one language to the other, she said.
Rosenbusch and her team are conducting the Spanish two-way immersion research study in one Iowa metro-area school district and one Nebraska metro-area school district. (The schools’ precise identities are protected as part of the research partnership agreement.) NFLRC researchers also work with two similar schools that serve as control groups for comparison.
NFLRC researchers employ a variety of assessments to measure not only the development of students’ skills, but also their attitude toward learning in multiple languages. Early results conclude that students who learn through two-way immersion are more likely to embrace both the second language and their classmates who are native Spanish speakers, said Claudia Navarro, NFLRC research assistant.
“One of the things we’ve found in our research is that students, regardless of their native language, have a positive attitude toward reading and writing in Spanish,” Navarro said. “In general, they are more tolerant of cultural barriers. When all of the students are speaking the same language, they are very equal, which promotes a positive attitude. This is something very different in comparison with the control schools.”
Students in the two treatment schools and two control schools will be assessed every year through the third grade. Research indicates that not only do these programs lead to early learning benefits, but also suggests that better understanding of the language(s) by students increases high school graduation rates. Rosenbusch hopes the research that speaks to the program’s benefits will encourage other school districts to initiate dual-language programs, promoting linguistic and cultural competency and helping to prepare youth for the globally diverse workplace.
“Our demographics, statewide and nationwide, are changing very quickly, with Hispanics being the fastest growing ethnic group in the country,” Kaptain said. “Ten to 15 years from now, our workforce is going to look very different than it does today. We want to develop citizens who can collaborate with others from around the world and this program is critical preparation for that.”
For more information on the Spanish two-way immersion project, visit the National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center web site at www.nflrc.iastate.edu.
Contacts:
Marcia Rosenbusch, National Foreign Language Resource Center director, phone (515) 294-6699.
Laura Dillavou, College of Human Sciences, phone (515) 294-3689, email laurad@iastate.edu.
