Dual Immersion Proposal

As a prospective middle school educator, I am interested in giving my students opportunities to squeeze every little bit they can out of their learning. My specific subject area is Spanish, so I am really interested in getting my students involved in other languages and cultures. That being said, I believe that the integration of a dual immersion program could be really beneficial to their learning.

Dual immersion programs focus on learning in both English and another language. Preferably, it is with native English speakers and native speakers of another language (for my example, Spanish). With Spanish as my content area, I can see students learning much more about language, culture, and social skills with this method of learning. Yes, being in a classroom that speaks only Spanish forces the kids to learn the language and the culture that surrounds it, but it also allows them to connect with the other students, especially those who speak Spanish natively. These connections are so important in middle school, because most kids are struggling to find meaningful relationships. The native Spanish speakers are bound to help those learning, and the same goes for when they are in the English classroom. Hopefully, these positive interactions in class will set a precedent for meaningful relationships outside of the classroom.

However, much more is possible through dual immersion other than building relationships. Research has shown that dual immersion programs increase the understanding of not only the new language being learned, but also one’s native language. This understanding comes with toleration and appreciation for other cultures, which is something we really need to work on in today’s society. It would help build a future of well rounded, young adults. Research shows that dual immersion programs have also improved performance on tasks requiring “divergent thinking, pattern recognition and problem solving.” (http://windom.mpls.k12.mn.us/benefits_of_spanish_dual_immersion) Lastly, it shows “enhanced levels of meta-linguistic awareness… which has proven to be imporant to reading acquisition” (http://windom.mpls.k12.mn.us/benefits_of_spanish_dual_immersion).

Therefore, integrating a dual immersion program into a middle school would not only help with relationships among students, but would positively affect their academic success. I really think this would be an amazing tool to use in schools to push students in the right direction of caring about each other and their academics.

Source: http://windom.mpls.k12.mn.us/benefits_of_spanish_dual_immersion