The Reference Desk, using available evidence and research, provides quick-turnaround responses to questions submitted by education stakeholders around the Northeast and Islands Region. Every Friday, REL-NEI highlights one or two questions submitted to its Reference Desk.
How Effective Are Two-Way Immersion Language Programs?
Recent questions have focused on supporting particular subgroups of students: struggling math learners, special education students, and elementary students. This week’s question asks: What research is available on assisting English language learners (ELLs)? In particular, this entry looks at two-way immersion programs (TWI), a growing model for teaching both native English speakers and speakers of another language.
Question
What research is available about two-way immersion language programs?
Research Synopsis
Reference Desk Researchers found research indicating that “both native Spanish speakers (NSS) and native English speakers (NES) in TWI programs perform as well or better than their peers educated in other types of programs, both on English standardized achievement tests and Spanish standardized achievement tests,” with “NES always showing a clear dominance in and preference for English, and language-minority students demonstrating more balanced bilingualism” (Howard, et al., 2003; see below). For the purposes of this report, researchers understood TWI to be “an instructional approach that integrates native English speakers and native speakers of another language (usually Spanish) and provides instruction to both groups of students in both languages” (Howard, et al., 2003).
Publicly Available Resources
- The Astounding Effectiveness of Dual Language Education for All. Collier, V. P., and Thomas, W. P.; NABE Journal of Research and Practice, Vol. 2, No. 1; Winter 2004; pages 1-20.
This paper asserts that “how the program is implemented can influence the rate at which English learners close the gap.” From page 13: “Important principles of dual language include a minimum of six years of bilingual instruction with English learners not segregated, a focus on the core academic curriculum rather than a watered-down version, high-quality language arts instruction in both languages and integrated into thematic units, separation of the two languages with no translation or repeated lessons in the other language, use of the non-English language at least 50 percent of the instructional time and as much as 90 percent in the early grades, and use of collaborative and interactive teaching strategies. How faithful teachers are to these principles can strongly influence the success of the program, and the principal is a key player in making the model happen as planned.”
- Trends in Two-Way Immersion Education: A Review of the Research. Howard, E., Sugarman, J., Christian, D.; Baltimore, MD: Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk; August 2003; 64 pages; ERIC Number: ED483005.
From page 30: “On aggregate, the research summarized in this section indicates that both native Spanish speakers (NSS) and native English speakers (NES) in TWI programs perform as well or better than their peers educated in other types of programs, both on English standardized achievement tests and Spanish standardized achievement tests. Within TWI programs, native speakers tend to outperform second-language learners, such that NES tend to score higher on English achievement tests and NSS tend to score higher on Spanish achievement tests. Additionally, students rated as balanced bilinguals with high levels of proficiency in both languages tend to outperform other students.”
- Two-Way Immersion Shows Promising Results: Findings from a New Study. Sugarman, J. and Howard, L.; Center for Applied Linguistics; September 2001.
“As part of a 7-year study of two-way immersion, researchers at the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) collected data on the language development and academic achievement of 344 students in 11 Spanish/English TWI programs across the country… The study found that both native English speakers and native Spanish speakers showed progress in their language and literacy skills from the beginning of third grade through the end of fifth grade. Looking at this descriptive data, some interesting trends began to appear, such as the fact that native Spanish speakers tend to have more balanced language and literacy skills in the two languages, while native English speakers tend to remain clearly dominant in English.”
The Reference Desk also found these organizations and their websites to be helpful in learning more
about
English language learners and TWI:
- Center for Applied Linguistics
The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) is a private, nonprofit organization working to improve communication through better understanding of language and culture. CAL provides a directory of two-way programs, guiding practices for dual language, frequently asked questions, tools for practitioners, and related publications.
- The Two-Way Immersion Toolkit.
Howard, E. et al.; Education Alliance at Brown University; 2005; 8 pages; ERIC Number: ED491612.
“This Toolkit is meant to be a resource for teachers, parents, and administrators involved with two-way immersion (TWI) programs, particularly those at the elementary level.”
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