Two Way Immersion Schools

After reading the following article, I wrote a review and critique for a class I am taking. I wanted to share it because I am really excited about the idea of two way immersion schools. In areas where at least 2 major language groups reside, it could be an excellent way to foster bilingualism and intercultural understanding in the US. I have read that in Europe two way immersion schools already exist, in countries like Andorra which is situated between France and Spain. Some schools in Western Europe also use English as a language of instruction for many school subjects, although it is not technically a two way immersion program since none of the students are native English speakers.
I think that in the US, with all the Spanish speakers now two way immersion could be a great program for schools of all levels and also for summer camps and enrichment programs during breaks. Especially now that the economy prohibits more students from study abroad during high school, a two way immersion program could provide an even better home-based immersion program.
As a Spanish and English teacher myself, is a dream of mine to someday work in or even open a school program with two way immersion, because it has so many very practical possibilities for two groups of people to exchange language. I would like to see more of these programs available for middle, high school and adult learners. So I am really interested in the development of these and other language exchange type programs.

TESOL Quarterly , Volume 43 Number 2, June 2009
Middle-Class English Speakers in a Two-Way Immersion Bilingual Classroom: “Everybody Should Be Listening to Jonathan Right Now . . .” by Deborah K. Palmer
Summary:
Many elementary level classrooms across the US are experimenting with Two-Way Immersion (TWI), a program in which native English and usually native Spanish speaking children are placed in the same bilingual classroom in order to learn each other’s language. All students are expected to learn both languages through receiving instruction in both languages. There are benefits to this model, but the author sheds light on some problems. For example, minority language students are more at risk to loose their first language because of language learning outside of school. Also, differences in economic class and cultural dominance mean that each group has somewhat conflicting priorities and may even be treated differently by the teacher, who in this case was a native English speaker. Although Spanish is part of the curriculum and TWI encourages pride in being bilingual, students pick up on the different status of English speaking students as part of the dominant culture. Also, English speaking students are often “turn sharks” who push for the teacher’s attention and she frequently gave in. However, to end on a positive note, Palmer cites that both groups in TWI programs are scoring higher on certain standardized tests and so in general it may be a better learning environment for both sides.
Critique:
After reading Palmer’s case study, the biggest challenges I see to TWI education are:
• Teachers do not know how to deal with the dominant culture’s effects on students’ learning and socialization, or their own subconscious favoritism between themselves and students of the same language/culture
• Teachers may not be able to understand students’ behavior if based on a different set of socio-cultural norms than their own
• Although the program helps students become bilingual, not much research has been done about cultural understanding between students
• The long-term effects of students who grow up in an English-dominant society, and whether they are able to sustain the Spanish language they learned in elementary school TWI programs
Some areas that Palmer touches on but should be analyzed more deeply:
It seems like the TWI teachers observed as part of Palmer’s article may have sufficient language training to teach in both languages, but it is not apparent that they have had any cultural training. This is a crucial part of teaching two language/cultural groups in the same classroom. Part of the reason why English speaking students were able to participate more in class was because in North American culture boldness and equality are praised, whereas in Latino culture reservedness and respect to authority are praised. It was not apparent whether the curriculum included any lessons on any culture.
Also, since for English speaking children the TWI program is “enrichment” and for Spanish speaking children the program is in most cases the best academic program available, there is inequality from the outset. Teachers and parents should put more emphasis on the necessity and utility of being bilingual for both groups. Unfortunately, this is difficult to reinforce if the student’s environment outside of school is English-dominant or if parents or even teachers treat it as “just for fun.” Included in the emphasis on true bilingualism should be truly bilingual teachers; in the article, Palmer noted that the main teacher was basically fluent in Spanish as a foreign language but had a significant accent. If the children are going to be bilingual, they need sufficient role models in both languages. Perhaps this means the lead teacher needs to improve her Spanish language ability and/or another fluent Spanish-speaking teacher should step in to help fill in language gaps in the curriculum.
Palmer admits she was a former employee of the case study school, so she may have had an insider view into the classroom culture, but alternatively she might have been hesitant to criticize any individual or the institution itself.