Language Immersion Programs

• use a language other than English to teach subject matter content;
• integrate language teaching with content teaching;
• offer instruction through the immersion language for at least 50 percent of the school day during the pre-school and elementary years; offer a minimum of two content areas taught through the immersion language in middle and secondary continuation programs;
• promote additive bi- or multilingualism, (i.e., enriched instruction in the immersion language sustained through the elementary years, including maintenance and development of the English language both in and out of school);
• are school-based programs that are held accountable for evaluating academic achievement in the content areas;
• employ teachers who are highly proficient in the language(s) they use for instruction; and,
• clearly separate teacher use of one language versus another for sustained periods of time.

One-Way (Foreign Language) Immersion Programs are designed to serve students whose native language is English.  Two-Way Immersion Programs are designed to serve a combined population of native English speakers and native speakers of a minority language (e.g., Spanish or Hmong). Indigenous language immersion programs promote the revitalization of Native languages and cultures and typically enroll Native American children whose first language is English.

For more information about immersion education, see the FAQ section at the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition.