I speak Spanish and hablo inglés

DILLON VALLEY - In this age of globalization, it's not hard to run into someone whose native tongue is different from your own. And as Summit County's immigrant population continues to grow, many residents increasingly end up tongue-tied trying to communicate with each other.

But some staff and parents at Dillon Valley Elementary are looking to open the lines of communication. Through "two-way, bilingual immersion," also referred to as dual language instruction, they are envisioning fifth-graders who can seamlessly transition from English to Spanish and back again, regardless of the languages spoken in their homes.

"If a student starts in kindergarten, and they consistently attend the program, we would guarantee that they would be bilingual and biliterate by fifth grade," said Gayle Jones-Westerberg, Dillon Valley principal. "Most of all, we're interested in increasing achievement for all students."

Dual language programs provide English Language Learners and native English-speaking students with instruction in two languages. Students in such a program might spend an hour working on a math lesson in Spanish, head out for recess, and then come back to tackle social studies or science in English.

A team of two teachers, one fluent in Spanish, the other in English, would tag-team throughout the school day. Students would spend some time in their "dominant language group" and some time in a mixed group with a 50-50 ratio of native English speakers and native Spanish speakers.

Some in the Dillon Valley community have concerns about the program, particularly in regard to the logistics.

"The 50-50 ratio is key," said Dillon Valley parent Carri McDonnell. "How do you maintain that ratio with our transient community? Do you kick kids out? How do you outreach in such a small community?"

What Is 'Two-Way Bilingual Immersion?' • Instruction and classwork take place in two languages, with the non-English language used for at least 50 percent of the students’ instructional day. • The day includes periods of instruction during which students and teachers use only one language, with no translation or language-mixing allowed. • Both English Language Learners and native English speakers work in both languages in balanced proportion. • English Language Learners and native English speakers are together for most content instruction. — Educational Leadership, Dec. 2004/Jan. 2005

Transportation, long-term funding for staff training and recruitment are all details that have yet to be figured out. But school board president Kristy Johnson said such challenges shouldn't stand in the way of taking a close look at the program's benefits.

"There's a body of evidence that shows English Language Learners and native English speakers (in a dual language program) demonstrate large gains in reading and math achievement," Johnson said. "As a parent, I would love for my child to have an opportunity like this. As a school board member, I find no better way to close the achievement gap, while also enabling our native English speakers to reach high levels."

Proponents of dual language instruction say that students who learn in two languages at a young age are more likely to be multilingual later in life, which can have big payoffs in the job market.

And some studies indicate that when elementary students are encouraged to exercise the parts of their brains involved in language acquisition, they make cognitive gains that show up in standardized test scores.

Jones-Westerberg said she and her staff still have a lot of homework to do before dual language can become a reality at Dillon Valley. But implementation beginning with next year's kindergartners isn't out of the question.

"It appears to me we need more education in our community. We need to have consensus among parents of incoming kindergartners, and we need more consensus in the building as a staff," she said.



Julie Sutor can be reached at (970) 668-3998, ext. 203, or at jsutor@summitdaily.com.