Duel Immersion Information
The Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program is designed to build academic and language fluency in both English and a second language. Students have the opportunity to develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in two languages. American Leadership Academy offers Spanish as the second language in the Dual Language Immersion Program.
Dual language immersion offers a rich bilingual experience for young learners when their minds are developmentally best able to acquire a second language.
DLI PROGRAM GOALS
Bilingualism: High levels of proficiency in English and in a second language (Spanish)
Biliteracy: High levels of academic achievement in English and in Spanish in all content areas
Multicultural Competence: Understanding different cultures and development of high esteem
language immersion offers a rich bilingual experience for young learners when their minds are developmentally best able to acquire a second language.
WHY DUAL-LANGUAGE IMMERSION?
More than 40 years of research consistently documents the power of immersion programs to help students attain high levels of second language proficiency. No other type of instruction, short of living in a second-language environment, is as successful.
Young children especially thrive in this type of instructional environment. In addition, language immersion is also the least expensive way to deliver second-language instruction.
Students enjoy the advantage of two caring, qualified teachers. The English-speaking teacher uses half of the instruction day to teach English language arts (reading, writing, and spelling) as well as reinforce other subjects of the curriculum (science, social studies, and math).
The Spanish-speaking teacher uses the other half of the day to teach Spanish Literacy, Math, social studies, and /or science depending on the grade. Both teachers base their instruction on the Utah Common Core Curriculum.
In class, the Spanish teacher speaks only in Spanish and communicates using a range of engaging strategies, including pictures, songs, games, body language, expressions, drama, pantomime, etc. Children at this age are adept at picking up language in meaningful contexts. After a brief period at the beginning of the year, students too will speak only in Spanish during Spanish class.
What Parents Are Saying
“We love the Spanish DLI program! It is the reason we have stayed at American Leadership Academy…”
“I love that my children get the opportunity to learn a second language. A skill that will be used both now and in the future.”
Proven Benefits
ACADEMIC/EDUCATIONAL
- Perform at or above their non-immersion peers on standardized tests administered in English
- Achieve high levels of functional proficiency in the immersion language, i.e. display fluency, confidence, and native-like levels of comprehension in immersion language
COGNITIVE
- Achieve metalinguistic awareness
- Achieve higher levels of proficiency when compared with students in non-immersion language programs
- Attain greater cognitive flexibility and better nonverbal problem-solving abilities
- Outperform monolinguals in the areas of divergent thinking, pattern recognition, and problem solving
SOCIOCULTURAL
- Allows access to foreign media, literature and art
- Helps student understand, navigate, and enjoy intercultural difference
- Leads to respect, positive attitudes and an appreciation of linguistic and cultural diversity
- Helps students better understand their own culture
ECONOMIC
- World language abilities are increasingly important to national security, delivery of health care, economic competitiveness, and law enforcement in the United States.
- Future high-level, high-paying jobs will require competence in more than one language.
Students who complete their DLI* education at American Leadership Academy may earn the official Seal of Biliteracy. The Seal of Biliteracy will be awarded to a student who is proficient in English and Spanish languages through participation in AP classes and passing the designated tests.