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Fostering Academic Success for English Language Learners:
What Do We Know?

Section 2. Inventory of Bilingual and Immersion Educational Models

Program model labels suggest much clearer distinctions than exist in actual practice in schools and classrooms across the country (e.g. by classroom population). In practice, there is considerable overlap, blurring, and blending, with different researchers and proponents defining labels as best they can or as they prefer.

				LANGUAGE USED TO TEACH:
MODELS	GOALS	TARGET POPULATION	CLASSROOM POPULATION	LITERACY	SUBJECT MATTER
Bilingual Education:
Early-Exit Transitional	ELD	Minority	Segregated	L1 literacy first, rapid shift to English, program is 2-3 years	Some degree of instruction in L1, rapid shift to English
Late-Exit Transitional/ Developmental or Maintenance	Late-exit: ELD Developmental: bilingualism	Minority	Segregated (Maintenance: partially segregated later)	L1 literacy first, then gradual shift to English, program is 4-6 years; Maintenance: Continues L1 Lang. Arts through middle grades	Most subjects in L1 with ELD; gradually to all subjects in English. Maintenance programs emphasize bilingual/bicultural proficiency
Bilingual Immersion	ELD	Minority	Segregated	L1 and English literacy from beginning	Concept development in L1; sheltered English for all subjects
Integrated Transitional Bilingual Education	Partial bilingualism, ELD	Minority with majority participation	Integrated	L1 literacy first, exposure to English from the beginning	All subjects in L1 and in English, but assignment by student suited to language needs, and particular program structure
Dual language Immersion (aka two-way bilingual)	Bilingualism	Minority and Majority	Integrated	Minority language first for each group, or L1 and L2 for both	All subjects in L1 and L2 distributed over the grades. Distribution varies by program
Immersion Education:
English Language Development (ELD) or English as a Second Language (ESL) Pull-Out	ELD	Minority	Partially Integrated	In English; specified period for development of English-language skills	Grammar- and Communication-based ESL; Content-based ESL in some programs
Structured Immersion	ELD	Minority	Segregated	In English (some limited L1)	Sheltered English in all subjects
Submersion with Primary Language Support	ELD	Minority	Integrated	English literacy, limited L1 literacy	All subjects in English with tutoring in L1
Canadian French Immersion	Bilingualism	Majority, international	Segregated	L2 first, English (L1) later	All subjects in L2 for 2 years; in English (L1) and L2 remainder of schooling.
Indigenous Language Immersion (e.g. Navajo)	Bilingualism	Minority	Segregated	Endangered L1 first, then both L1 and English	L1 for all subjects first, gradually increase use of English in subject areas

(Sources: Brisk, 1998; August and Hakuta, 1997)

Goals = Language goals; Target population = language-minority or –majority; Classroom population = language-minority or –majority together or separated

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