The benefits of a Dual Language Program for Spanish Speaking Students in New York City

The benefits of a Dual Language Program for Spanish Speaking Students in New York City

Aim of the research

The main aim of the research will be to evaluate the benefits of Dual language programs that are designed for all Spanish speaking students in New York.

Problem Statement

As more immigrants arrive in the United States, the number of public school students in need of additional language instruction will continue to increase. A survey of state education agencies found that in 2000-01, more than 4 million students with limited proficiency in English were enrolled in public schools across the nation, making up almost 10 percent of the total pre-K through 12th grade public school enrollment (Kindler).

According to that same report, the population of students who are English-language-learners has grown 105 percent, while the general school population has grown only 12 percent since the 1990-91 school year and "states report more than 460 languages spoken by students with limited proficiency in English. These burgeoning numbers pose unique challenges for educators working to ensure that language-minority students achieve at high levels of reading, writing, and oral language development proficiency.

From the sociocultural perspective, the language of the environment, with its stable, permanent meanings, points the way that the child's generalizations will take. Learning is socially-mediated so is dependent on face-to-face interaction and shared processes, such as joint problem solving and discussion. Language is a social construct and the purpose of language is communication. Adults use language to conduct the business of daily life, such as to talk on the phone and do their jobs. Children's basic needs, on the other hand, are different than adults'.

This study is significant because it looked at second grade students as English language learners who use their first language, Spanish and their second language, English in their classroom to increase their reading, writing, and oral language development proficiencies. This study hoped to illuminate how growing up using two different languages may be an academic advantage for large numbers of ELL students enrolled in American schools.

The large numbers of ELL students in the u.S. have caused institutions (e.g., the school system) and professionals (e.g., teachers, speech-language pathologists, psychologists) to attempt to plan for these individuals' academic, linguistic, and societal needs. Planning for this therefore includes addressing the pressing need for research that will provide information to inform both practice and policy.

Research questions

The research will be based on the following research questions:

What happens to second grade native Spanish-speaking students'reading, writing, and oral language development during the school year in New York?

What do we know about school-wide efforts to improve the academic achievement of language-minority students?

What efforts have been made to develop students' reading, writing, and oral language development proficiency in the context of developing second language literacy through dual language programs?

Does the Dual language program helps to understand course material for the Spanish students?

How bilingualism and bi-literacy programs impact significantly on the learning of Spanish students in ...