In the United States, dual-language immersion is becoming more popular. This is different than a bilingual education because in most bilingual education programs, children come from similar backgrounds and speak the same home language. In school, they are learning a second language and enhancing their skills in the home language. Conversely, in a dual-language immersion program, the student body is split evenly of what home language is spoken, and students spend half the day focusing equally on both languages. Students in both groups are engaged in learning the cultures of both languages, and students are not set apart for not being able to speak the principal language of the school. Many times, students who have immigrated or students who are born to immigrants are set apart and placed in ESL programs until they attain a level of proficiency. It is difficult for students to learn when all of the teaching happens in a language they are not familiar with, causing students to struggle. When students are able to engage in learning in the same language they speak at home, even when paired with a second language, they are more likely to embrace aspects of both the sending and receiving cultures. Additionally, dual-language immersion programs promote biliteracy, meaning that students have the ability to read and write adequately in both languages. Many students that are put into ESOL programs, especially at a young age are never given the opportunity to learn to read and write in their first language. Therefore, they may grow up to be bilingual, but cannot read and write well in their home language.
I like the idea of embracing both the sending and receiving cultures through language immersion in schools; in particular as this relates to this module’s discussion of transnationalism, identity, and assimilation. It makes me think of many of my ELL students and how so many obstacles exist in their schooling.