AN ELEMENTARY BILINGUAL PROGRAM: 
A Work in Progress

Dianne R. Coombs
Edwards Elementary
U. S. A.

Background 
Student Profile
The Transitional Bilingual Model
Dual Language - Immersion
Non-academic Issues   
Conclusion
Endnotes
References

Background

Edwards Elementary School1 is located in Eagle County, Colorado.  Eagle County is a rapidly growing area due to its proximity to the ski resorts of Vail and Beaver Creek.  What was once a primarily rural county with ranches and a few small towns has become a series of towns and communities along the I-70 corridor.  Edwards is a population center in an unincorporated area that has the largest Hispanic population of any elementary school in the district, who mainly resides in a large trailer park in our attendance area.  This Hispanic community is comprised almost entirely of families from Mexico: most of these families come from the state of Chihuahua (Northern Mexico) and others from Zacatecas and Aguascalientes (Central Mexico).  This population continues to grow due to the great need for unskilled workers in the service sector as well as for workers in the construction industry.  Economic conditions in Mexico and in other Latin American countries are the major contributing reasons why most of our families migrate to this area.   Some families are transient; others permanent.  Many come to this area because of friends or family members who are already here.  [paragraph 1]

Student Profile

Most of the Hispanic students who enter our district come with no prior knowledge of the English language.  Many of those who have previously attended school in their own country have literacy levels in their native language  below grade level.  Their Spanish oral language is often non-standard, and some are less than fluent speakers of Spanish, as measured by the IPT-Oral Examination which is administered to all Spanish-speaking students.  This year (2002), our Spanish-speaking population comprises approximately 53% of the school population.  Just two years ago it was 37%.  We have no significant numbers of other minorities, although we have a few English language learners from European countries.  [paragraph 2]

Many of our Spanish-speaking students enter at the kindergarten or preschool level.  By the time they finish elementary school, they are fluent or nearly fluent in English with a range of literacy skills in this new language. However, we have new students entering at every grade level, some arriving during the middle or even toward the end of the school year.  For example, during the first half of April, 2002, we had eight new Spanish-speaking students enroll.  Some of these same students leave before the year is complete or transfer in and out of other schools in the district, depending of the availability of housing.  [paragraph 3] 

The Transitional Bilingual Model 

To achieve our literacy goals, we have established a transitional bilingual program2.  Nieto (2001) defines a transitional bilingual education as an "approach to teaching language minority students," in which "students are taught content area instruction in their native language while also learning English as a second language" (p.161).  Bennett (1999) reminds us that the ultimate goal of this approach is to prepare students "for English-only classrooms, typically within two or three years" (p. 390). The task of the school is twofold for these students:  to teach English as a second language, which is started as soon as they arrive, and to maintain or establish literacy in their native language without their falling behind other students at grade level.  As English proficiency increases, the amount of Spanish language instruction decreases.  This is a model similar to what Krashen (1981) has described as best practices for second language acquisition.  [paragraph 4]

The Eagle County School District first began adopting this bilingual education model in 1991, but it has evolved greatly since that time and has a different look at Edwards than at most of the other schools.  At first our program consisted of a two-hour literacy/mathematics block during which instruction was given in Spanish.  Depending on numbers, these classes consisted of more than one grade level.  During the remainder of the school day, all instruction was given in English.  Students received varying amounts of ESL support.  The structure of this block has changed as our population has changed.  Our goal, beginning with the 1998-1999 school year, was to have a bilingual teacher at every grade level.  For the1999-2000 school year we added two teachers at the first grade level due to increased numbers.  Instead of one teacher at second grade, we have had two, starting with the 2000-2001 academic year. In reality, some of these teachers are certified teachers who also speak Spanish.  We have two teachers in the 2001-2002 year who are actually certified in bilingual education.  Finding and keeping these teachers have not been easy propositions.  We are not close to a major metropolitan area, and the cost of living is extremely high in relation to teachers' salaries, coupled with the fact that there is a state-wide shortage of bilingual teachers.  [paragraph 5]

When we adopted this model in 1991, there was not an organized program in the formal sense.  The curriculum goals were the same as those for English-speaking students, but with only limited materials to support those goals.  All of the mathematics materials used by English-speaking students were available in Spanish, but the same was not true for language arts.  For the 1999-2000 academic year, the district adopted the Houghton-Mifflin literacy program in Spanish (1997), but it is still a struggle to have copies in sufficient numbers for the early grades.  [paragraph 6] 

Beginning with 2001-2002, the district has instituted a program in which part of the language arts instruction is given in English, the amount depending on grade level.  For third graders who have a sufficiently high level of English, one hour of instruction is delivered in Spanish and a second hour in English.  Fourth graders would ideally receive more of their instruction in English than third graders, but due to staffing considerations, the program looks more like that of third grade.  In the fifth grade, we have two separate programs for English language learners:  a monolingual Spanish language arts program with ESL support and another with modified instruction delivered entirely in English.  [paragraph 7]  

We have done some serious soul searching in relation to our goals.  We sometimes worried about our ability to produce a language-rich environment because none of our teachers was a native speaker of Spanish at the initial stage.  We wanted not only to increase reading skills, but to increase facility in language usage both in grammar and vocabulary.  A large number of our students do not have books available in Spanish at home, and they do not come from an "optimal" oral language environment due to the limited education of their parents and limited time the parents could spend with children due to their busy working schedule.  This issue highlights the need for high-quality reading materials that help to serve this purpose. Fortunately, we had wonderful teaching assistants whose primary language is Spanish, who could also help to model an extensive vocabulary.  However, since our program is designed to be a transitional bilingual program, we had to face the fact that while the students may be bilingual and we want them to maintain their Spanish literacy, the goal is primarily English literacy.  The teachers are excellent in their knowledge of pedagogy and, therefore, have a good sense of what to teach and how to teach it, so that students can be held to the same high standards as their English-speaking counterparts in terms of curricular expectations.  We are finding that we have been able to transition some students into math taught in English before they are ready to leave language arts in Spanish.  Students who arrive later in elementary school receive services in Spanish for a shorter period of time because they receive less support in Spanish once they enter middle school, which has a less extensive program in Spanish.  [paragraph 8]

Due to our increasing enrollment of Spanish-speakers and the addition of new schools in the district, our current program has a new face.  Because of the shortage of teachers locally, our district has recruited foreign teachers through the Visiting International Faculty (VIF) program.  In our school we currently have one teacher from Spain, two from Costa Rica, one from Argentina, and one from Colombia.  There have been advantages and disadvantages to this approach.  These teachers come with great training in the methodologies from their own countries, and this has given us new insights.  On the other hand, they need training in the programs to which our district is committed, which may look very different from that to which they are accustomed.  Some of these teachers have experienced this as a challenge.  Another difficulty is that most of our VIF teachers are used to working with students of a higher socio-economic level than our students'.  What the teachers teach, something as simple as punctuation, can have variations from what our students have been taught.  The dialect differences have not been expressed to me as a problem, but these teachers do realize that they exist and they have worked to adapt themselves.  VIF teachers are expected to commit for three years, but they are not required to do so.  Last year we had two VIF teachers leave at the end of their first year, which has created problems in continuity.  Even if the teachers serve the full three years, a transitional faculty situation still exists as a result. [paragraph 9]   

The English component of the bilingual program, in addition to the language arts piece, is based on exposure in the special subjects of music, art and physical education, and in content areas.  For the new arrivals, the ideal is to present content area with as much oral language as possible in the form of "sheltered" English.  By presenting information in as much hands-on a manner as possible in such classes, students can also have the opportunity to develop some sight words and reading vocabulary.  In the past students were given the opportunity to write in Spanish in the content areas.  We had wondered if this had been too much of a crutch, so that the students became more intimidated by risking writing in English.  Even though we might expect that the writing component would be slower to develop, we would like to see it be stronger than it is.  Now we are looking at using alternate forms of assessment and production.  [paragraph 10]

We are still in the process of determining the best means for establishing literacy skills.  We have focused on Spanish literacy development so that these skills would transfer to English.  Nieto (2000) affirms that "students'  native language is an asset that can enhance their academic achievement" (p. 194).  In this way, students were continuing to learn at their appropriate developmental level rather than falling behind while they developed the oral skills and vocabulary needed to learn in English.  Kindergarten and first grade do not get Title I reading services3 in Spanish.  For these lower grades we used a bilingual teaching assistant to help students who needed extra help.  For the upper grades we used teaching assistants and part of one teacher's time to help with reading practice.  For two years we received an anonymous grant for an after-school program, in which students met twice per week to get help with increasing English acquisition.  This has since changed.  We experienced some staff cutbacks but reconfigured some of our staffing units to create a literacy teacher position in Spanish for the 2001-2002 school year, which enabled us to have small reading groups in first grade and to provide reading support to higher grades especially with the "Read to Achieve" state-funded grant4.   We face further cutbacks for the 2002-2003 school, so the program may have a different face once again.    [paragraph 11]

Dual Language-Immersion 

In the 2001-2002 academic year a dual-language immersion program was introduced to our school.  The dual-language immersion program, also known as "two-way bilingual education," is defined as "a program model that integrates students whose native language is English with students for whom English is a second language.  The goal of this approach is to develop bilingual proficiency, academic achievement, and positive cross-cultural attitudes and behaviors among all students" (Nieto, 2000, p. 201).  Parents must commit to this program in kindergarten or first grade, and the goal is to provide bingualism and biliteracy for both groups by the end of fifth grade.  Our program is based on a 50-50 model (there are others) in which literacy and math are taught in the native language, and content instruction is delivered 50% of the time in Spanish and 50% of the time in English. In the Spanish classroom only Spanish is spoken regardless of who the students are, and in the English classroom the same holds true.  This program is currently offered as an option in kindergarten, first, and second grades.  Next year we will add third grade to the program, with one additional grade to be added in each of the next two years.   The program was developed through parent initiative, although faculty had been discussing the possibility for some time.  The component for Spanish-speaking students has not changed much.  The English-speaking parents whose children are in the program wanted it because our district does not offer Spanish or other second language instruction to native speakers of English in the elementary grades. [paragraph 12]

This program helped the school to retain English-speaking students whose parents had been looking for alternate schools.  It has resulted in smaller English language arts classes for those who are not in dual language.  Some of these students are from families whose parents are less involved, resulting at times in a less rich academic environment.  Some of our special education parents felt that dual language was not the best option for their children, but they have, nevertheless, kept their children in the school.  The funding for developing this program is being provided by a Title VII grant5  from the federal government.  [paragraph 13]

Non-Academic Issues

The conspicuous presence of the non-English-speaking students has brought up some non-academic challenges to the school.  First, the faculty would like to see greater social integration between the Spanish speakers and the English speakers.  Some teachers have expressed a concern that there is not more integration in the lunchroom and on the playground.  Despite the concern, it may be necessary to acknowledge the students' need for some "down time." Although students are expected to speak English for most of the day, at some point they may need to interact with their peers in their own language.  Sometimes when students are transitioned into English-only classes, it is observed that they want to use more Spanish in social settings than before because they are somewhat out of their comfort zone.   [paragraph 14]

The second non-academic issue stems from the fact that many of the Spanish-speaking students have been together since kindergarten.  They know each other almost too well, and a tightly knit social structure has been developed among them.  Depending on the group, it is sometimes difficult for newly arriving students to be accepted as close friends by those who have been here quite some time.  [paragraph 15]

The third issue concerns the classroom behaviors of students in the Spanish-only classes.  In the integrated classes, they do not want to appear different or draw attention to themselves so that they tend to behave according to the classroom rules.  In the Spanish-only classes, their behavior may be completely different because they are more comfortable.  This sometimes results in negative behaviors such as yelling or physical contact, which would not be acceptable in classroom settings.  [paragraph 16]

The school also faces challenges regarding the school-community relationship with Spanish-speaking parents.  Some of our Spanish-speaking parents had little formal education and feel intimidated by the school system, especially in the United States.  Economic issues serve to separate some of them and their children from the Anglo community.  These factors affect their participation in school functions.  There are also social issues surrounding the Hispanic community.  It is noted that very little sense of community has developed among many of members of the larger Hispanic community, which is almost entirely made up of Mexicans.  Most of them are isolated from their extended families, and some do not interact with their immediate neighbors.  Parents often work more than one job, which leaves them with little time for socialization.  To create better communication between parents and the school and to overcome these barriers, we developed a Parent Outreach program, in which we have monthly evening meetings at the school.  We have a paid part-time parent liaison to facilitate the program.  The salary for this position was originally provided by a grant from the Violence Prevention Initiative but is now coming from the same grant that funds the Dual-Language Immersion program.  The liaison helps with families' needs in making connections with the school and community services.  Childcare is provided, which adds a greater incentive for attendance.  A community group called La Mesa, which is funded by Catholic Charities, is also working to assist in community building.  Although it is not directly linked with the school, the superintendent of schools has been invited to attend some program functions.  [paragraph 17]

Conclusion

Once again for a new academic year, 2002-2003, we will be determining how to allocate our resources in the Second Language Acquisition program.  We are trying to secure a Spanish literacy position.  We would like to have more reading support for all students.  The current model may change in other ways as well.  We need to measure up to state standards in the state testing program for all our students, and we need to decide the best way to accomplish that goal. The state of Colorado for the 2001-2002 academic year decided that all students who have been here for three full continuous years must take the state examinations in English, regardless of their English ability.  This is just one of the challenges we face.  We do not necessarily have all the answers, but we are constantly evaluating to determine what works and what does not.  [paragraph 18]  

Endnotes

1. The real name is used with the permission of the school authority.

2. In our program, students are only separated for language arts and  math, so they are in English-only classes the rest of the day. By the fourth grade, they get very little Spanish, but the language arts, while taught in English, is modified to an appropriate level.

3. Title I is a federally funded program that provides reading instruction to low-income students in the early grades.  The low-income status is determined by the students' qualification for free and reduced-price lunch on the basis of their household income.

4. "Read to Achieve" is designed to help students who have been placed on an Individual Learning Plan because they read below grade level according to the Colorado Student Assessment Program.

5. Title VII grants are funded by the U.S. government to promote bilingual education and English language acquisition.  

References  

Bennett, C. (1999). Comprehensive multicultural education: Theory and practice. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Houghton-Mifflin, (1997). Invitaciones.  Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.

Krashen, S. (1981). Second language acquisition and second language learning. New York: Pergamon.   

Nieto, S. (2000). Affirming diversity. New York: Longman.

Nieto, S. (2001).  We speak in many tongues. In C. F. Diaz (Ed.), Multicultural education in the 21st century (pp. 152-170).  New York: Longman.

Dianne R. Coombs, is completing twenty-two years of teaching.  Sixteen and a half of those years were in the St. Louis Public Schools in a non-integrated urban high school for African American students.  She is completing her second year working with Hispanic students.  (She may be reached at dcoombs@eagleschools.net )

Recommended Citation in the APA Style:

Coombs, D. R. (2002). An elementary bilingual program: A work in progress. Electronic Magazine of Multicultural Education [online], 4 (1), 18 paragraphs <Available: http://www.eastern.edu/publications/emme/2002spring/coombs.html> [your access year, month date]

(Please note that in order to comply with APA style citations of online documents regarding page numbers, only the PDF versions of EMME article, which are paginated, should be cited.)