The perceived effectiveness of dual language programs at the middle school level

Restricted until 25 July 2009.Dual language, or two-way immersion (TWI) education has gained popularity in the United States over the past few decades. Although many scholars contend TWI programs are more effective than English-only instruction when educating English learners (EL) students, the effectiveness of TWI programs remains controversial. Furthermore, while extensive studies have been conducted on the TWI programs at the elementary school level, research on the dual language programs at the middle and high school levels has been very limited.; The purpose of the present research was to determine the nature and the perceived effectiveness of dual language programs at the middle school level. For this study, Bridgeview Middle School in the city of San Francisco was selected to be the research site. A qualitative approach which utilized in-class observations, one-on-one interviews, and documentation was employed. In addition, a mixed analytic approach that included both a deductive analytical approach using Montone and Loeb's (2000) study and an inductive analysis using grounded theory was employed.; In the present research, the emerged themes were organized based on the nature and the perceived effectiveness of the TWI program at the middle school level. Themes related to the nature of the TWI program were motivation and encouragement; qualified teachers and the need for professional development; lack of resources; lack of support; lack of communication; positive student interaction; student attitude and behavior differences; preparation and implementation; and SDAIE-like instructional strategies. Meanwhile, themes related to the perceived effectiveness of the TWI program included maintaining students' mother tongue; slow English progression; noticeable linguistic and academic performance; and perceived program success. In addition, as a supplementary finding, this research also identified the trend of learning Mandarin.; In sum, while the TWI program at the middle school level was effective in educating both EL students and native English-speaking students, the recommended areas for improvement included developing conceptual framework; maintaining consistent communication with stakeholders; developing core curriculum in all subject areas; providing differentiated instruction to serve students with different needs; offering professional development to teachers; and strengthening students' language development. Furthermore, recommendations for future research included the following areas: study identical to the present research but in different settings; in-depth analysis on the performance of the TWI programs at the middle school level; extensive, longitudinal study on the nature of the TWI programs; study which tracks graduates' academic performance in high school; and research that includes students' viewpoint along with other stakeholders to provide a holistic perspective of the TWI programs