Dual Language Information - Woodland School District 50

Opening in the Fall of 2012
On June 2011, the Woodland School Board voted
in favor of implementing a Two Way Immersion
Program, also known as Dual Language.
  What does Two Way Immersion look like?
  50-60% of the students speak the minority
language (Spanish)
  40-50% of the students speak the majority
language (English)
  Both groups learn in both English and
Spanish
Why Implement a Two Way Immersion
Dual Language Program at Woodland?
  The Woodland Community is very diverse and
is able to broaden the scope of second
language learning for students.
  Over 75% of Woodland’s second language
families speak Spanish, which is more than a
50% increase from ten years ago.
  The Illinois State Board of Education
recommends the implementation of a dual
language program.
Why Implement a Two Way Immersion
Dual Language Program at Woodland?
Continued…
  Spanish Language Arts must now be taught
as part of the core curriculum for bilingual
students.
  Dual Language is a research based program
with positive outcomes.
  See handout
Benefits of
Dual Language Programs
  Both native English-speaking and native
Spanish-speaking students can benefit from
becoming bilingual and bi-literate.
  All students are language learners and language
experts. Students experience both aspects of the
language spectrum.
  By the end of the program (minimum six years),
students will be able to read, write, speak, and
listen in both English and Spanish.
Benefits of Dual Language Programs
Continued…
Benefits of Dual Language Programs
Continued…
  Improved overall school performance and problem-solving
skills (Bamford & Mizokawa, 1991).
  Higher scores on standardized assessments
  Results from the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) show that
students who had studied a foreign language for four or
more years outscored other students on the verbal and math
portions of the test (The College Board SAT, 2003).
  Learning another language can enhance knowledge of
English structure and vocabulary (Curtain & Dahlberg,
2004).
Benefits of Dual Language Programs
Continued…
  Bilingual employees are increasingly in
demand in all fields.
  Being bilingual can positively impact an
employee’s income potential.
  Improve one’s ability to communicate
with the growing U.S. Spanish-speaking
population.
Longterm Benefits of Being Bilingual
  Thirty-one percent of executives speak two languages,
according to a poll of 12,562 visitors to the Korn/
Ferry International Web site. An additional 20 percent
speak three languages, 9 percent speak four languages
and 4 percent speak more than four.
  On average, bilingual pay differentials range between 5
and 20 percent per hour more than the position's base
rate, according to Salary.com.
Benefits of Dual Language Programs
Continued…
Dual Language Program Goals,
Kindergarten-5th Grade
  Students will develop proficiency in their first
language.
  Students will develop proficiency in their second
language.
  Academic performance for both groups of students
will be at or above grade level.
  All students will demonstrate positive cross-cultural
attitudes and behaviors that will help them function
in a global society.
Teachers in the Dual Language Program
  Partner teachers will be used for the program
  Each section will have one Spanish-speaking
teacher and one English-speaking teacher.
  Teacher A will be a native Spanish speaker and
Teacher B will be a native English speaker.
  The teachers will share about 40-45 students.
  Teachers will be native speakers if possible
 
If the teacher is not a native speaker, they will have an excellent
command of the language they are teaching.
How Would Two Way Immersion
Work at Woodland?
  In the Fall of 2012, we anticipate 4-5 sections of
Kindergarten Dual Language classrooms.
  Sections will be comprised of about 100 native Spanish
speakers and 80-90 native English speakers.
  Students would attend Kindergarten all day.
  ½ of the day students will learn reading, math, and
science in Spanish with the Spanish Dual Language
teacher.
  ½ of the day students will learn reading and social
studies/science in English with their English Dual
Language teacher.
Dual Language Instruction
  Content will be separated during the day. If Math is
taught in Spanish, it will be taught the entire year in
Spanish.
  How will native English speakers grasp the concepts in
Spanish or vise versa?
  At the end of a unit of study, the partner teacher will do
a “bridging” lesson.
  For example, students learned about geometric shapes in
Spanish, the English speaking teacher would teach the
corresponding English vocabulary. This would allow the
students to make connections between both languages.
Dual Language Instruction
Spanish and
English share
about 70,000
cognates.
A cognate is a
word that looks/
sounds similar
in both
languages.
Dual Language Instruction
Sample Word Wall
rhombus
el rombo
circle
el círculo
oval
el ovalo
octagon
el octagono
Dual Language Timeline
  In the fall of 2013 the Kindergarten students would be
promoted to a 1st grade Dual Language classroom
  Woodland would open another set of Kindergarten
Dual Language classes.
  The classes would continue to roll up until at least 5th
grade.
  There may be a possibility of adding Middle School
Dual Language classes.
  If you choose this program for your child, it is
multiyear commitment in order to attain proficiency in
the second language.
How Are Students Chosen?
  If Spanish is spoken in the home and the student
qualifies for the English Language Learners
Program, he/she is automatically considered for
Dual Language.
  If the student is a native English speaker, the parent
would fill out a form to show interest in Dual
Language.
  Depending on the number of Dual Language
sections and the number of applicants, a lottery
system may be used.
Can My Child Receive Other Services?
  If your child qualifies for the gifted
program or needs specialized help, he/
she will be able to receive those services.
  These services will be provided during
the English portion of the day unless a
Spanish speaking staff member can
provide the support.
Can My Child Attend
Extra Curricular Activities?
  Dual Language students will have the same
opportunity to participate in all after school
activities.
  All Dual Language instruction is provided
during the regular school day.
  There is no additional cost to participate in
the Dual Language program.
Future Meetings and
Additional Information
  More, informational meetings about the Dual Language Program
will be held for Woodland families throughout the year.
 
Please inform any parents of future Kindergarten students
entering Woodland in the fall of 2012 or beyond of the meetings.
  Please visit www.dist50.net for more information.
Thank you for your interest in Woodland’s Dual Language Program.
Valerie Morey
ELL Coordinator
vmorey@dist50.net
847-984-9718