Since the passing of Proposition 227 (1998) in California, which established English only instruction in schools for English language learners, many bilingual programs have ceased to exist. The traditional bilingual programs existing before Proposition 227 were specifically designed for English language learners only, primarily native Spanish speakers. Although some of these bilingual programs included a heritage or primary language maintenance component, the ultimate goal was to have students learn English. Therefore, as students progressed through the grades, Spanish instruction was replaced with English only instruction. Though this type of bilingual program is on the decline or no longer exists in most school districts, dual language immersion or two-way immersion schools are growing in California.
Dual language immersion programs, specifically two-way immersion programs, are designed for students, native and non-native speakers of English, to learn two languages; one language does not replace the other. There is a great demand for these programs and there are long wait lists at these schools. In fact, many eager parents complete a preliminary application of interest when their child is not of school age to ensure a greater possibility of placement at the school. For many of these schools, admission is by lottery. Usually, these schools offer tours and information sessions throughout the school year for parents.
Most dual language immersion programs enroll native English and native Spanish speakers. Ideally, each class is made up of 50% native English speakers and 50% native Spanish speakers. There are also dual language immersion programs that focus on other languages such as Korean, Mandarin, Japanese or French, instead of Spanish. A great advantage of these programs is that the students come from varied backgrounds and socioeconomic status. Although most students live approximately 5-20 minutes away from the school, it is not uncommon to have students come from areas that are 30-60 minutes away.
The main goals for these programs are for students to achieve strong levels of academic proficiency in both languages and to value cultural diversity. Many programs exist at the elementary school level only, but there is an increasing number of programs that continue into high school. One such program exists in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. They have a K-12 dual language immersion program. Students enrolled in this program attend Gates Elementary School, Los Alisos Middle School and Laguna Hills High School. The Laguna Hills High School dual language program is affiliated with the from the Embassy of Spain.
Students enrolled in dual language immersion programs have the opportunity to earn a State Seal of Biliteracy Award. On October 8, 2011, Governor Brown approved bill AB815, State Seal of Biliteracy, authored by Assemblymember Julia Brownley. This bill established a uniform set of criteria for all California school districts recognizing students for their successful academic achievement in English and another world language(s). If the criteria is met, the State Seal of Biliteracy is recorded on the student’s high school diploma and/or transcripts. Previously, each school district used their own set of criteria for awarding the Seal of Biliteracy. More information and resources regarding this award can be found on the website. Californians Together is a statewide coalition of advocates and other civil rights groups committed to securing equal access to underserved children in our schools.
For frequently asked questions about dual language immersion programs, please visit these two links:
For an extensive, but not complete list of dual language immersion schools in California, please see:
To gain a better understanding of what a dual language program can offer students, please view inspirational video clip regarding their model dual language program:
New Dual Language Immersion Schools in Orange County, CA:
is the very first California school district to offer a dual immersion program in Vietnamese at . The school welcomed their first kindergarten class this fall, 2015-16
launched two dual immersion programs this fall, 2015-16. will offer Mandarin and will offer Spanish immersion.
, a small district in Anaheim, now has a dual immersion (Spanish) program at Dr. Peter Marshall Elementary School. The program has extended to third grade for the new academic year, 2015-16.
Orange County’s first Korean dual immersion program began in the fall of 2013. Although the school has gone through several name changes, they are now firmly established in Lake Forest and are now the , a Pathways Academy Charter School. It is a free public charter school that provides a 50/50 model of instruction. They have established an Facebook page. For more information, email: info@oclanguageacademy.org.
added a fourth elementary dual language immersion program; the newest addition provides Mandarin as the language of choice. The program began in the fall of 2012-13 at in Laguna Niguel and now includes grades K-3. Additional information about the program can be found on .
added their first dual language immersion program in the fall of 2012. Their new Mandarin immersion program is at in Orange. The district also launched a Spanish immersion program at this fall, 2015-16.
A new private immersion school in Costa Mesa, , opened its doors in the fall of 2011. This school focuses on the development of three languages: English, Spanish and Mandarin.