Self-concept as a Function of Bilingual Elementary School Education

This study investigated the relationship between bilingual education and self-concept among native, Spanish-speaking and native, English-speaking students enrolled in the most common second language acquisition programs for English Language Learners (ELL) in the U.S.; Two-Way Immersion (TWI) and English as a Second Language (ESL). It also explored the impact of level of acculturation on the relationship between bilingual education and self-concept. The sample consisted of 118 fourth and fifth-grade TWI, ESL, and Mainstream students from William B. Ward Elementary School in the City School District of New Rochelle. Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that students who participated in a TWI program would demonstrate significantly higher levels of self-concept than students who participated in ESL or Mainstream and native, Spanish-speaking students who participated in a TWI program would demonstrate significantly lower levels of acculturation than native, Spanish-speaking children who participated in ESL. The interaction between level of acculturation and program type on self-concept was explored. Participants completed two self-report measures: the Self Description Questionnaire I (SDQI), a multidimensional measure of self-concept, and the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanic Youth (SASH-Y), a measure of acculturation. The results suggest that native, Spanish-speaking students have the most to gain from participation in a TWI program. Findings corroborate that ELL educated through TWI programs fair much better with regard to academic self-concept when compared to their counterparts who received only ESL and, perhaps more notable, even when compared to students for whom English was their only language. The results did not demonstrate any significant differences in level of acculturation between native, Spanish-speaking students who participated in TWI and those who participated in ESL. The results of exploratory moderation analysis were not significant. Overall, this investigation provides data to support the implementation of TWI programs in U.S. schools given the significant and consistent benefit to native, Spanish-speaking students with regard to their academic self-concept