Sixth International Conference on Immersion and Dual Language Education: Connecting Research and Practice Across Contexts

Symposium (2 hours + 15 minutes)

multiple

One-Way Second/Foreign Language Immersion
Co-Official/Regional Language Immersion
Two-Way Bilingual Immersion
One-Way Developmental Bilingual Education
Indigenous Language Immersion

Pre-K
Elementary (K-5)

The presentations in this symposium will discuss the learning outcomes of young dual language learners who are at risk for low language, reading and academic achievement owing to low socio-economic status,  specific language impairment,  learning disabilities, and others. Educational implications of this research will also be considered.

 

Immersion for ALL: The Suitability of Immersion for ALL Students

Symposium organized by 

Fred Genesee, McGill University

The presentations in this symposium will discuss the learning outcomes of young dual language learners who are at risk for low language, reading and academic achievement owing to low socio-economic status,  specific language impairment,  learning disabilities, and others. Educational implications of this research will also be considered.

Dual Language Development in Preschool Children with Language Learning Difficulties

Fred Genesee, McGill University

Children with language learning disabilities are often thought to be poor candidates for learning two languages on the assumption that learning two languages is more difficult than learning one. There is a growing body of research on preschool-age dual language learners with language learning impairments. Examination of these children’s acquisition of two languages during the preschool years allows us to examine their innate ability to learn more than one language without formal instruction or support. This, in turn, allows us to establish reasonable expectations about exposing these children to more than one language in home and school settings. This presentation will review research on children with specific language impairment, Down Syndrome, and Autism Spectrum Disorder, all childhood disorders that are thought to have a genetic basis that impairs their ability to acquire two languages. The results of this review will be discussed in terms of their implications for education of such children.

 

Educational Trajectories of At-Risk Latino EL Students in Dual Language Programs 

Kathryn Lindholm-Leary, San Jose State University

This presentation uses longitudinal data to examine language development and achievement trajectories of 1415 fourth- through eighth-grade dual language EL students who begin school at risk. Findings indicate that by fourth through eighth grades, students vary significantly in English language proficiency.  In examining four groups of students who vary from Beginning to Fluent English proficient, results indicate that students in these groups vary significantly in background characteristics, such as SES and special education, and in all outcome measures (language proficiency in English and achievement as measured in Spanish and English):  Fluent English Proficient outscored and were more advantaged than Advanced, who outscored Intermediate, who scored higher than Beginners.  Results indicate that at-risk EL students are more similar in kindergarten and first grade, but show different trajectories of growth across the grade levels.

The Achievement of Students identified with Special Needs in Two-Way Spanish Immersion Schools in Arlington, VA

Marjorie L. Myers, Key School - Escuela Key

The test scores of students attending Two-Way Immersion and regular education programs in Arlington County Public Schools, Virginia, and who were identified as developmentally delayed, emotionally disturbed, learning disabled, and with other health impaired will be presented.  The students were both ELLs and English speakers. The academic success of children with special needs was as strong in the dual language as the students in the regular elementary programs. The inclusion model in Two-Way Immersion at Key Elementary School ~Escuela Key for “at risk” children with special needs or English Language Learners will also be shared.

An important caveat whenever there is a discussion about Two-Way Immersion versus an English-only elementary education -- the TWI students leave school with more; they leave with two languages.

Research-based Guideposts for Intervention Practice

Tara Williams Fortune, CARLA - University of Minnesota 

Research from the past decade has shed additional light on our ability to predict and identify second language learners who may be at-risk for reading difficulties earlier (Deacon, Wade-Woolley, & Kirby, 2007; Erdos, Genesee, Savage, & Haigh, 2014; Jared, Cormier, Levy, & Wade-Woolley, 2006). For example, we now know that early literacy measures of certain sub-skills in a Kindergartener’s first language can successfully predict second language reading outcomes and difficulties later on, in Grade 2 or 3. From the perspective of the immersion and dual language practitioner this information opens the door to providing early, more timely intervention. However, relatively few studies have examined effective intervention practices for children learning through two or more languages. This presentation will briefly discuss existing findings and offer best practice recommendations for providing meaningful support to immersion and dual language learners with reading difficulties.