What is dual language education?

Abstract

Recently, the U.S. Congress made a bipartisan request for a national commission to study the state of language education in the United States. After an era of declining availability of foreign language education for the general public and fewer bilingual programs for children from immigrant families, this kind of request may mark an important shift in thinking about the importance of multilingualism and related education initiatives. This changing discourse is coming not only from our leaders, but also from local policymakers and community members. From Delaware to North Carolina to Utah, there has been exponential growth of dual language (DL) education programs since the 1990s. But what exactly are dual language programs? And what are the promises and possibilities of this unique model of education? This Cambio eBrief will focus on defining DL programs and who they serve, and a subsequent brief will focus on the promises and possibilities of dual language education.