A Two-Way Dual Language Immersion Program brings native English and native Spanish speakers together in a classroom where, side by side, they will learn in both English and Spanish.  In the primary grades, the majority of instruction will be in Spanish to compensate for the dominant power of English outside the school context. Each year, the percentage of instruction in English increases until students receive equal instructional time in both languages.  Whether instruction is delivered in English or Spanish, the academic content is derived from the Indiana Academic Standards.  The students are purposely mixed in the same educational environment to provide communication and academic language development through an interactive and cross-cultural setting.

Becoming bilingual and biliterate gives students the skills and knowledge to succeed in a growing global society. Studies consistently show that students in a Dual Language Program academically, cognitively, and socially outperform their monolingual peers. 

Recent research shows that students who participate in a Two-Way Dual Language Program, demonstrate strong self- esteem, feel academically competent, and hold very positive attitudes toward other languages, speakers of other languages, and people they perceive as different from themselves. In addition, most students also believe that being bilingual has made them smarter, increased their level of performance in school, improved their thinking ability, and will someday help them get a better job (Lindholm and Molina, 2006).

Both native English and native Spanish speakers in Two-Way Bilingual Immersion Programs maintain their native language, add a second language to their knowledge base, and achieve well above the 50th percentile in all subject areas on norm-referenced tests in English. The achievement of students educated in these programs equals or outperforms their comparison groups being schooled in only one language, on all measures (Collier and Thomas, 2001).

Research consistently shows that the immersion experience actually enhances English language development since the cognitive processes that come from the ability to read, such as understanding the relationship between the spoken language and the written word, transfer from one language to another (Cloud, Genesee, & Hamayan, 2000).

Parents of DLI students often feel some anxiety about having their child educated in a language which they themselves do not speak. DLI teachers know the students often come from monolingual homes and consider this when assigning homework. It’s expected for DLI students to experience some level of frustration, especially at the beginning. The calm support of parents is imperative to help their children adjust to a new language and learning environment. Reading together, talking together, and answering your child’s questions are some of the most effective ways that a parent can prepare their child to succeed in school.  Research clearly demonstrates that second language acquisition is dependent upon first language development. When you strengthen your child’s native language, he/she becomes more successful in learning the second language.