Language acquisition theories and hypotheses directly influence teaching practices in early learning programs. Depending on what theories and hypotheses educators are familiar with, they will likely take different instructional approaches to teaching children who are multilingual learners. Let’s explore a few specific program models now.

There are several program models for teaching children who are multilingual learners, but most fall under two main categories: English-only and Bilingual. These are the most common types of language programs offered in the United States.

Several language program models fall under each of these two categories, so we will review each one-by-one.

One-Language Instruction

English-only

First, we have models in which instruction is only provided in one language as part of the English as a Second Language (ESL) category. Most commonly in the United States, these are English-only models.

What do you think the pros and cons are of an English-only program?

• Pros: Children will increase their English proficiency skills.
• Cons: Children will stop using their L1 skills and might lose proficiency in that language over time.

The following video on Language Immersion (3:18) shows an example of a typical preschool program where English is used as the primary language of instruction. This program is not necessarily an English as a Second Language (ESL) program, but it is possible that some of the students in the classroom speak languages other than English. Therefore, an ESL classroom would look very similar to this.

What are the benefits and challenges of English-only instruction for students who are multilingual learners during this lesson?

Language Immersion – Salish

Here is an example of a language-immersion program in a different language (1:48), in this case the Salish language. This preschool is located in Washington state and its goal is to form new speakers of Salish, which is a dying Native American dialect. Most of the children are not fluent in Salish but can understand what the educator says. Watch the video and notice what strategies you think the educator is using to help students understand what she is saying.

What strategies did you notice the educator use to help students understand what she was saying?

Bilingual Models

Transitional Bilingual Education

Now we’ll move on to instructional approaches within the second main category of language program models, or the bilingual models. First is the transitional bilingual education model (TBE).

This model of instruction is very popular in western and southern regions of the United States, such as California and Texas, since there are a significant amount of Spanish-speaking children in these states. Therefore, most TBE programs in the U.S. primarily use Spanish and English, but this does not mean that TBE programs cannot be implemented in other languages, too.

Instruction in the student’s L1 usually starts at kindergarten and lasts until around third grade. Educators intentionally plan for when to use different languages throughout the day and week, for instance teaching literacy in Spanish and math in English. The amount of English used in instruction is gradually increased over time.

This video is from a Migrant Head Start program (1:30) in California, therefore its student population is primarily Spanish-speaking children. Watch the video and identify some characteristics that may indicate that this is a Transitional Bilingual Education program.

What characteristics did you observe in the video that indicate that this classroom is implementing a Transitional Bilingual Education model?

Dual Language Program

Another bilingual program model is known as a Dual Language (DL) program, where proficiency in two languages is promoted. Dual Language programs can serve different student populations: students who are multilingual learners and students who want to learn another language.

There are two types of Dual Language programs: one-way and two-way. The main difference between the two types of Dual Language programs is the composition of students who participate.

• A one-way Dual Language program involves a group of students who are all fluent speakers of only one of the two languages taught in the targeted program.

For example, a program with children who only speak Chinese who are also learning to speak English. These children will be learning Chinese and English at the same time.

• In a two-way Dual Language program the student group is mixed, representing fluent speakers of both languages taught in the program.

For example, a program with a mixed group of Spanish-speaking and English-speaking students who will be learning both Spanish and English.

Watch this video, Dual Language Programs Explained (4:31), published by the American Institutes for Research. It discusses differences between Bilingual programs, specifically one/two-way Dual Language programs and Transitional Bilingual Education programs. It also discusses the results of a research review conducted by the managing researcher, Diane August, on the effectiveness of Bilingual programs compared to ESL programs. Finally, the video discusses some challenges in the implementation of Bilingual programs.

As you watch, consider: What do you think about the challenges August set forth for implementing Dual Language and Transitional Bilingual Education program models? Have you personally experienced any of them?

Summary

In summary, English as a second language (ESL), Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE), and Dual Language (DL) are the three of the most common program models that exist, especially in the United States. While the TBE and DL program models both fall under the Bilingual category, their goals are quite different since the TBE program’s goal is to reach English proficiency while the DL program is aimed at promoting proficiency in both languages.

As for the ESL approach, the primary goal is to accomplish English proficiency as soon as possible (or proficiency in whatever language students are being immersed in for instruction).

Research shows that both ESL programs and Bilingual programs support children’s English skills, but ESL programs yield faster outcomes than Bilingual programs since the latter programs are also supporting the child’s native language.

Though there is mixed data, Bilingual programs seem to yield better outcomes in English as well as the child’s native language. These outcomes usually represent long-term effects rather than short-term.

Think about your own teaching experience and the program where you work. If you are using an ESL approach, what might be your program’s purpose for doing so? What are the barriers of implementing a Bilingual program (TBE or DL) in your program specifically?

The video by American Institutes for Research overviewed a few challenges to the implementation of Bilingual programs. In more detail, challenges can include:

• Policies: The policies of each state regarding bilingual education have significant implications on funding and the sustainability of bilingual programs.
• Human resources: There is currently a shortage of educators in the United States, so finding educators with proper training who are bilingual is even more challenging. There is a limited amount of educators who are bilingual and proficient in the languages that the program wants to utilize.
• Family preferences: There is a significant amount of families who strongly prefer their children to become proficient in English rather than supporting proficiency in the family language. While both languages can be successfully supported in Dual Language programs, at the end of the day parents are the ones who decide how they want to their children to learn English. Keep in mind, however, that sometimes families do not even have a choice other than sending their children to an ESL classroom. The point is that families’ needs and priorities should always be respected and taken into account when it comes to language instruction, and this is a process that takes time, awareness, and training.

references

American Institutes for Research (2016, April 5). Dual language programs explained [Video file].

Cultivate Learning, University of Washington. (2019). Language immersion program—English example [Video file].

Cultivate Learning, University of Washington. (2019). Reading and English book in Spanish [Video file].

Cultivate Learning, University of Washington. (2019). Salish School of Spokane [Video file].

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2017). Promoting the educational success of children and youth learning English: Promising futures. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.