Esperanza Dual Immersion Model
A. Esperanza’s Model
Esperanza has chosen to employ a 90/10 Dual Immersion Model.
 Academic content is taught through language
 All students will start with Spanish literacy
 Both English dominant and Spanish dominant speakers are grouped
together all day
 The English portion of the day for K-2nd will focus on theme related
vocabulary development. The English portion of the day for 3rd-6th will
focus on English literacy transferring the skills learned in Spanish.

Kindergarten—90/10
First Grade—90/10
Second Grade-- 80/20
Spanish
Language Arts
Science
Social Studies
Math
Language Arts
Science
Social Studies
Math
Language Arts
*Bridge
Explicit planning for
content and language
transfer
English
Language Arts/ ESL
Explicit planning for
content and language
transfer
Language Arts. ESL
Explicit planning for
Language Arts/ ESL
Third Grade—70/30
Fourth Grade—60/40
Science
Social Studies
Math
Language Arts
Science
Social Studies
Language Arts
Science
Fifth Grade—50/50
Language Arts
Science
Sixth Grade—50/50
Language Arts
Science
content and language
transfer
Explicit planning for
content and language
transfer
Explicit planning for
content and language
transfer
Explicit planning for
content and language
transfer
Explicit planning for
content and language
transfer
Language Arts
Math
Language Arts
Math
Social Studies
Language Arts
Math
Social Studies
Language Arts
Math
Social Studies
* “Bridging” is scheduled time for the explicit teaching of language transfer
which is:









Interactive
Cognates and false cognates
Linguistic constructions specific to a language
Correction of student errors
Vocabulary
Verb conjugations
Summarizations
Metalinguistic in mature
Deliberately planned
…and is not:
 Direct word-to-word or simultaneous translation
 Reading the same book in the other language
 A list of vocabulary words
B. Why a dual immersion model?
 Advantages of bilingualism
 Goals of dual immersion program
 High levels of proficiency (understand, speak, read, write) in students’
first language
 High levels of proficiency (understand, speak, read, write) in students’
second language


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 High academic content expectations at each grade level in both languages
 Positive cross-cultural attitudes and behaviors
Benefits for the dominant English speaker
 English speakers get the chance to acquire a new language in the years
when their brains are most receptive to language learning
 They outperform control students in all-English schools on a variety of
English language tests including reading and writing
 Achieve the same levels of competence in academic subjects (math,
science and social studies) as English-speaking students in all-English
programs
Benefits for the dominant Spanish speaker
 They make better progress in acquiring full proficiency in English
compared to progress made in other ESL-like programs generally used in
schools
 The acquisition of strong Spanish literacy skills can be applied to the
acquisition of English literacy
 Can keep up with their English dominant peers who are a “moving target”
by learning content at the same time they are becoming proficient in
English: Offered equal access to education
 Raises self-esteem as they are role models for their dominant English
speaking peers part of each day
 Strengthen immediate and extended family ties
 More opportunities for family and community involvement
Benefits for both
 Additional knowledge and understanding of one’s native language.
 They have peer role models for the language they are learning
 Greater performance on tasks that call for divergent thinking, pattern
recognition, problem solving, and creativity… and able to hold two
different things in the mind at one time and switch
between them
 They are better prepared to be successful in a global society—
academically, linguistically, and socially.
 Greater understanding, tolerance, appreciation, and respect of other
languages and cultures
C. Why a 90/10 Model?
50/50 Model
Spanish Instr/English Instr.
K: 50/50
90/10 Model
Spanish Instr/English Instr
K: 90/10


1st: 50/50
1st: 90/10
2nd: 50/50
2nd. 80/20
3rd: 50/50
3rd: 70/30
4th: 50/50
4th: 60/40
5th: 50/50
5th: 50/50
6th: 50/50
6th: 50/50
The benefits
 It is more likely that all students will achieve higher levels of Spanish
achievement –Biliteracy is better assured
 The value of Spanish is elevated, resulting in more respect towards the
language and a stronger desire to learn in it
 The shared academic language between the two languages (i.e. Latin roots
of cognates) will facilitate the transfer between the two languages
Comments from the experts
Virginia Collier:
The 90:10 model is the original form of dual immersion. It is the truest
form of dual language education. It was developed in Canada in the 1960s
and then was adopted in the U.S. in the 1970s as the most comprehensive
form of two-way dual language education. The 90:10 model came to
California first, and it has also been widely adopted in dual language
programs in Texas, New York, New Mexico, Illinois. As can be seen in
our longitudinal analyses, the 90:10 model is the most efficient in getting
students to grade level achievement in both languages. On page 76 of our
book, Collier & Thomas, Educating English Learners for a Transformed
World (2009), we compare long-term achievement in 90:10, 50:50, twoway, and one-way programs (from our analyses of dual language
programs in all regions of the U.S.), and 90:10 two-way programs are the
most efficient. Kathryn Lindholm-Leary has found similar findings in her
longitudinal research in California.
Kathryn Lindholm-Leary states 90/10 is a true dual immersion model and shares
the following:
I talk about it in my book entitled Dual Language Education, and that's
considered kind of the handbook of dual language education. My website
has many references to the TWO models of DL, 90/10 and 50/50.
Also, my website, CAL's website, and the Calif Dept of Ed website on
two-way immersion all refer to 90/10 programs
Julie Sugarman Research Associate from the Center for Applied Linguistics,
Washington, D.C.
She is one of the authors of the book Guiding Principles for Dual
Immersion that we are using to evaluate our program. She is also one of
the co-editors for the Dual Immersion Toolkit.
Julie said that we have a correct understanding of the 90/10 model and
dual immersion. 90/10 is a true immersion model.
Link to “Guiding Principles…”
http://www.lewiscenter.org/nsaa/pdf/dualimmersion/guiding_principles_e
ng.pdf
More information about dual immersion can be found at the Center for
Applied Linguistics website, including definitions
http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/digest_pdfs/0101-howard-twi.pdf