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

Paper/Best Practice Session (1 hour)

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Two-Way Bilingual Immersion
One-Way Developmental Bilingual Education

Elementary (K-5)

This session will address the main pedagogical strategies for training teachers in the Spanish and French Dual Immersion Programs. Special attention will be dedicated to the teaching of writing and the strategies that DLI teachers can implement in their classroom such as scaffolding, graphic organizers, mentor texts, and modeling. 

With the growing number of Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs in Spanish (73) and in French (19) in the state of Utah comes increased demand for teachers who possess both the linguistic and academic preparation to face the challenges associated with the DLI curriculum. How do Spanish and French teachers respond to these pedagogical and academic challenges? What are the main approaches to successfully teach linguistic skills in the DLI program? What are the main areas in which teachers need specific and structured training? What are the most effective materials to assist these teachers in their work?

This session will address these questions, which have formed the framework for workshops that the author has conducted to train teachers in the Spanish and French Dual Immersion Programs. Special attention will be dedicated to the teaching of writing and the strategies that DLI teachers can implement in their classroom such as scaffolding, graphic organizers, mentor texts, and modeling.

Participants will be familiar with the different approaches that have been used in the workshops to train Spanish and French teachers in the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs. Participants will expand their understanding on the writing process, the integration of the common core, and the language proficiency targets in the DLI classroom.