Two Languages Are Better Than One - 4 0 16; Wayne P. Thomas and Virginia P. Collier; 5 (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1997)
ABSTRACT : Among the underachieving youth in U.S. schools, students with no proficiency in English must overcome enormous equity gaps. Clear achievement data now point to the most powerful models of effective schooling for English learners. What is astounding is that these same programs are also dynamic models for school reform for all students. When native and nonnative speakers of English learn together in dual language programs, they help each other acquire both languages proficiently. In successful two-way bilingual programs, educators carefully plan appropriate percentages of instruction in each language, and the languages are used separately. After five to six years in such programs, students are able to demonstrate deep knowledge on tests in either language. Indeed, research evidence is overwhelmingly clear that proficient bilingual outperform monolinguals on school tests. Beyond high academic achievement, dual language programs enable students to develop multiple ways of solving problems, multilingualism that will enhance their professional lives, and cross-cultural respect and collaboration.
Keywords: 2 -- 0; 6; Language; 20; 2