California Department of Education
Taking Center Stage – Act II

Bilingual instruction

A growing body of research indicates that bilingualism provides cognitive advantages for students.1 Additionally, new research suggests that it also improves brain functioning into later life and appears to delay the onset of dementia.2

The five-year study of Proposition 227, Effects of the Implementation of Proposition 227 on the Education of English Learners, K-12: Findings from a Five-Year Evaluation (PDF; Outside Source), found no conclusive evidence that one instructional model for educating English learners (ELs), such as full English immersion or a bilingual approach is more effective for California's ELs than another.3 The study further found that certain factors did appear to make a difference for students, including:

  • Staff capacity, characteristics, and training to address EL needs
  • Curriculum and instruction targeted toward EL progress
  • Shared vision for ELs
  • School and classroom organization around supporting EL progress
  • Systematic assessment and data disaggregated for ELs
  • District support of EL instruction
  • Community outreach to increase EL family involvement4

Districts that demonstrate positive results typically implemented the components noted above with a high degree of fidelity.

The Reading/Language Arts Framework for California Public Schools Kindergarten through Grade Twelve (2007) (PDF; 6.06MB; 386pp.) states:

To learn English and achieve mastery of the English-language arts content standards, students must participate in instructional programs that combine skill and concept development in both English literacy and the English language. For those students whose parents have chosen a program that teaches literacy in the primary language, students must work to achieve the same standards contained in the English-Language Arts Content Standards. Appropriate modifications should be made for the language of instruction.5

In a review of current research studies on English language development, Bob Slavin found that bilingual education was an effective instructional approach. For example, 17 studies of elementary reading instruction were favorable to bilingual approaches. Most studies found significant positive effects of bilingual education on reading performance, and other studies found no differences—but in no case did positive results from an English-only strategy exceed those from a bilingual strategy.6

Diane August and Timothy Shanahan reviewed the body of available literature that met the criteria for scientific research in their book, Developing Literacy in Second-Language Learners: Report for the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth (Executive Summary, 2006) (PDF; Outside Source). Their report points out that research on acquiring literacy for ELs continues to be limited. However, some of the key finding of the National Literacy Panel include the following:

  • Instruction that provides substantial coverage in key components of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension) had clear benefits for language minority students (page 3).
  • Instruction in the key components of reading is necessary but not sufficient for teaching language minority students to read and write proficiently in English. Oral proficiency in English is critical as well (page 4).
  • Oral proficiency and literacy in the first language can be used to facilitate literacy development in English (page 5).
  • Individual differences contribute significantly to English literacy development (page 5).

In the Spotlight

Bernice Ayer Middle School, Capistrano Unified School District, a 2005 Schools to Watch™-Taking Center Stage Model School
To help English learners, Bernice Ayer Middle School provides both a two-way English/Spanish immersion program and a structured English immersion program.

Beyond the discussion about bilingual education as an effective way of teaching English, many people are concerned that some "heritage languages" may be lost.7 Additionally, fluency in more than one language may be a significant advantage in future careers.

Related Links

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English language development (ELD)

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Mathematics instruction

Footnotes
1Ellen Bialystok, Fergus I. M. Craik, Raymond Klein, and Mythili Viswanathan, “Bilingualism, Aging, and Cognitive Control: Evidence from the Simon Task” (Outside Source), Psychology and Aging, Vol. 19, No. 2 (2004), 290-303.
2Ellen Bialystok, Fergus I. M. Craik, and Morris Freedman, “Bilingualism as a Protection Against the Onset of Symptoms of Dementia” (Outside Source), Neuropsychologia Vol. 45, Issue 2 (2007) 459-464.
3Effects of the Implementation of Proposition 227 on the Education of English Learners, K-12: Findings from a Five-Year Evaluation (PDF; Outside Source). Washington D.C.: Prepared by the American Institutes for Research and WestEd for the California Department of Education, January 2006, ix.
4Ibid., x.
5Reading/Language Arts Framework for California Public Schools Kindergarten through Grade Twelve (PDF; 6.06MB; 386pp.). Sacramento: California Department of Education, 2007, 232.
6Robert Slavin and Alan Cheung,” How Do English Language Learners Learn to Read?” (Outside Source) Educational Leadership, Vol. 61, No. 6 (March 2004), 52-57.
7Mary Ann Zehr, “Heritage Speakers: Loss of a Treasure?” Education Week, April 5, 2006.

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