Bilingual Programs Research Articles

School Principal’s Perspective on Continuing Institutional Growth Development of an Education of Private School in Phnom Penh

This study aimed to explore the school principal’s perspective on continuing institutional growth development. The school principal's job is hard in a number of ways. School principals have to balance their jobs as site manager and instructional leader on a regular basis. This study looked into and identified the knowledge and learning opportunities that school leaders, particularly those who head schools with bilingual programs, rely on to lead their schools. School leadership and management are recognized as key determinants for school reforms; however, little is known about the effects of school principals’ leadership as perceived by teachers on teaching and learning outcomes. Education is main key element for develop family value, community, country, and all sectors in the world. So, school leader must be set clear policy, vision, mission, and core value for students ’achievement. School principal need to have strong commitment and long perspective for develop institutions by change their leadership styles, infrastructures, and school development’s plans. According to data collection and analysis of Mean = 3.29; Std. Deviation = 6.19 from 30 school principals and vice school principals from private school located in Phnom Penh show that: Schools or institutional growth development depend on school principal leadership styles and long perspective for development institutions. Another researchers or scholar can be choose leadership behavior, employee ’mindset change, integrated technology for institution for next studies.

Parental Perceptions of Bilingual Education: A Study of Parental Views on Schools and Teachers

ABSTRACT This study investigates parents’ perceptions of bilingual education in a metropolitan independent school district and examines how parents’ perceptions vary depending on their length of stay in the U.S., educational and income levels. Nine-hundred fifty nine parents’ survey responses were collected, whose children participate in bilingual programs. The Rasch analyses found that parents generally believe schools respect all students and provide safe environments. However, the parents expressed less agreement with statements indicating that schools and teachers offer challenging instruction. Overall, there is a tendency for parents to hold more positive perceptions of schools and teachers, the longer they stay in the United States.

More Bilingual Programs, No Matter What

Since 2011, the New York City (NYC) Department of Education (DOE) has engaged in a campaign to increase the number of bilingual programs it offers. This case presents the experiences of a principal who was asked by her superintendent to open a new Dual Language program. Having been a principal for only 1 year, and with little expertise about English Language Learner compliance and instruction, the principal engaged in a learning process that illuminated significant complexities not just about bilingual education policy, but also about the DOE’s bureaucracy, policy implementation in NYC, and the ambiguity of the principalship.

On the Relationship Between Bilingualism and Mathematical Performance: A Systematic Review

As part of the demands of a globalized and interconnected world, studying second languages has become a major priority. Bilingual programs implemented in recent decades have motivated an educational strategy in which content area courses are taught through L2. The potential costs of this strategy in academic performance are debated, especially in challenging areas such as mathematics. The present work systematically reviewed 71 papers based on experiments measuring mathematics performance in bilinguals in order to establish if bilinguals show a (dis)advantage in mathematics compared to monolinguals. The results of a total of 305,136 participants (57,703 bilinguals and 247,503 monolinguals) show that bilingualism does not seem to affect mathematical performance, but this is dependent on whether subjects are highly proficient bilinguals. This type of bilingual may only be affected by lower reaction times depending on the testing language. On the other hand, low language proficiency negatively impacts mathematical performance. Lastly, bilingualism enhances mathematical encoding and processes in non-language-related tasks.

Bilingual-Bicultural Education: Opportunity obscured

ABSTRACT This article reports on analysis of A Master Plan for Bilingual-Bicultural Education (MP), created after the Lau v. Nichols Supreme Court ruling. Qualitative analyses reveal authors’ intention to: 1) intertwine language and culture; 2) promote richly diverse multilingualism; and 3) systemically embed its implementation among local linguistically marginalized communities. Although the purpose of the MP was to detail a replicable model for new BBE program development across the nation, its rejection reveals the continued dominance of English-only instructional approaches, despite decades of research documenting that dual language bilingual education is the most effective instructional model for multilingual students. It also serves as an invaluable tool and roadmap for the development of future, and revision of existing, bilingual programs in ways that enhance multilingualism and improve inclusivity among minoritized language-speaking students, families, and communities.

A study of Lau v. Nichols’ legacy: Examining the relationship between language support program availability and student trajectories

ABSTRACT The Lau v. Nichols ruling shows the importance of tailoring programs for local multilingual learners. We used longitudinal data from one school district in California to assess the relationship between attending a school with a language support program and English language arts (ELA) achievement. We found that students labeled an English learner had positive and significant average score changes over time when they attended a school with an academic language acquisition or a two-way bilingual program. Findings highlight how emerging multilingual learner access to high-quality bilingual programs can be associated with positive ELA growth over time.

Beyond Lau: Envisioning humanizing and culturally sustaining workspaces for teachers in dual-language bilingual education schools

ABSTRACT Fifty years after the Lau decision, dual-language programs face critical challenges, particularly a national teacher shortage, especially in bilingual programs representing less commonly taught languages like Mandarin Chinese. This study explores the workplace environments of 13 Mandarin Dual Language Bilingual Education (MDLBE) teachers in a diverse urban school district. Drawing on Freire’s concept of humanization, Paris’s cultural sustainment framework, and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, qualitative interviews reveal themes of outsiderness, coupled with a need for humanizing relationships with colleagues and leadership. Findings highlight the importance of culturally sustaining practices and systemic changes to foster inclusive, supportive environments, advocating for a transformation “Beyond Lau” to sustain dual-language programs.

Secondary students’ beliefs about English L2 speaking fluency

Research findings on beliefs in second language acquisition (SLA) suggest that beliefs can have a great impact on language learners’ approach to learning, the manner in which they complete language learning tasks, and their ability to complete those tasks and achieve their goals (Griffiths &Soruç 2020). This study explores secondary students’ beliefs about English L2 speaking fluency, their own performance on argumentative dialogues, and possible changes in these beliefs over an eight-month period. Speaking fluency is a multifaceted construct and it is a widely used term in both everyday and research contexts (Tavakoli& Wright 2020). These factors might result in the coexistence of multiple conceptualisations of fluency in a given context. This study argues that this coexistence might also entail inconsistent and even contradictory beliefs about speaking fluency and the components that need to be developed to achieve it. Moreover, these beliefs might change over time. The participants were twelve secondary students in an English bilingual programme (16-year-olds: 11 females and 1 male) who audio-recorded their English L2 argumentative dialogues throughout a school year (10-13 discussions over the eight months). They completed reflective journals in Hungarian, in which they answered questions on how they felt during the dialogues, what areas they felt good and bad at, and what and how they wanted to develop in the future. In addition, they completed a qualitative questionnaire at the beginning and end of the research which focused on their conceptualisation of speaking fluency, the factors they considered important, and their language learning habits and background. The findings showed that the participants had diverse and sometimes contradictory beliefs about speaking fluency and the components that are important to develop, and that these beliefs also changed over time for some participants. / Keywords: beliefs about speaking fluency, introspective methods, reflective journals, experience sampling

Abstract B107: Community scientist research advocacy program: Training our research community

Abstract Community Scientist Research Advocacy (CSRA) training programs serve as fundamental bridges between communities and researchers. By engaging community members, these programs leverage networks, knowledge, and community perspectives to enhance research endeavors. This approach facilitates trust-building between disadvantaged populations and cancer researchers, particularly in the context of clinical trials participation and tissue donation. The purpose of our program was to develop and evaluate an innovative, bi-coastal, and bilingual program to inform, educate and encourage community members to become cancer research advocates in Florida (FL) and California (CA). Our program was culturally tailored for Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a adults. Primary objectives were to increase manpower for cancer research advocacy and increase multi-directional communication between cancer advocates with cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, community members, academic scientists, and policy makers. The CSRA program is a 13-week hybrid program implemented by the CaRE2 Health Equity Center, a bi-coastal partnership between the Florida A&M University, University of Florida, and University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Participants studied into cancers disproportionately affecting Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a groups, completing pre- and post-surveys to measure knowledge, self-efficacy, and program satisfaction. Additionally, participants concluded mentored advocacy projects for community implementation, with follow-up implemented at three months post-program completion. To date, a total of 45 adults have graduated from our CSRA program. We present data from the 2023 CSRA cohort (pre, N=21, post, N=19) that included participants from FL and CA, which are among the top five states in the U.S with the largest Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a populations. Regarding race and ethnicity, 6 participants were Black/African American, 13 Hispanic/Latino/a, 1 Asian, 1 Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 9 White, with 95% female participants. This cohort had 90% program completion and 7 advocacy projects: 2 on lung cancer, 2 on pancreas cancer, and 3 on prostate cancer. Participants showed an increased in knowledge, from pre- mean 68.1 to post- mean 74.0, and a p-value of 0.018. There was an increased in self-efficacy; program satisfaction and evaluation were rated as high. In summary, our study depicts the effectiveness of a unique CSRA program tailored for Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a adults, fostering robust communication channels between cancer research advocates and diverse stakeholders. We emphasize the potential of such initiatives in addressing cancer health disparities and advocating to address specific inequalities by imparting educational initiatives in cancer research advocacy. We look forward to evaluating and enhancing our training program with an additional 21 research advocates in our cohort of 2024. Citation Format: Brooke Hensel, Ileana Guzman, Carolina Aristizabal, Eduardo Ibarra, Rosa Barahona, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Mariana C. Stern, Sandra Suther, Fern J. Webb. Community scientist research advocacy program: Training our research community [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B107.

Abstract B106: Empowering communities: Prostate cancer short training pilot program

Abstract The prostate cancer short training was designed to empower cancer survivors, their families, and advocates by providing comprehensive insights into prostate cancer research, prevention, and practical advocacy strategies. Participants were equipped with effective communication methodologies to disseminate information to their close circles and broader networks, thereby establishing a reputable source of information within their communities. The primary aim was to develop and evaluate a bilingual program focused on educating and empowering individuals within Hispanic/Latino communities to advocate for prostate cancer awareness. Sessions were conducted in both English and Spanish, and materials were culturally tailored to the Hispanic/Latino demographic. The overarching objectives included educating on risk factors, screening techniques and reinforcing advocacy for prostate cancer awareness. This training aspired to cultivate an inclusive community of informed advocates, advancing cancer awareness, support systems, and treatment accessibility. The Prostate Cancer Short Training served as an exclusive standalone session structured to provide participants with comprehensive knowledge regarding prostate cancer. It was delivered by the Florida California CaRE2 Health Equity Center, a partnership comprising three universities, the Florida A&M University, the University of Florida, and the University of Southern California. The training addresses prostate cancer and its disproportionate impact among thee Hispanic/Latino population. Pre- and post-tests were applied to assess participants' knowledge, self-efficacy, and intent to disseminate prostate cancer information. We present data from the 2024 Prostate Cancer Training pilot cohort (pre, N=11, post, N=11). The 11 participants were all of Hispanic/Latino ethnicity with 81.8% female participants and 18.2% male respectively. Participants demonstrated a notable increase in knowledge, with a 72% difference in correct responses between pre and post-assessment. No decline was observed in post-test scores. Our statistical analysis on knowledge, yielded p-values of 0.013, 0.13, 0.041, 0.074, >0.9, 0.041, and >0.9. Furthermore, there was an increase in self-efficacy and intention to disseminate cancer information among participants. In conclusion, we present findings from a Prostate Cancer Short Training pilot program designed for Hispanic/Latino adults, aimed at fostering advocacy within this demographic. Additionally, we underscore the significance of short training initiatives within the community to further support the overarching mission of eliminating cancer health disparities, particularly concerning Hispanic/Latino men, within the program's context. Citation Format: Ileana Guzman, Nazleen Del Rio, Brooke Hensel, Carolina Aristizabal, Eduardo Ibarra, Rosa Barahona, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Mariana C. Stern, Sandra Suther, John Luque, Fern J. Webb. Empowering communities: Prostate cancer short training pilot program [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B106.

Decomposing Variation in Vocabulary and Listening Comprehension Task Performance in Spanish and English Into Person, Ecological, and Assessment Differences for Spanish-English Bilingual Children in the United States.

We investigated the contributions of person, ecological, and assessment characteristics to one's performance on vocabulary and listening comprehension tasks in English and Spanish. Person characteristics included English learner status, ecological characteristics included instructional program enrollment (bilingual vs. English immersion) and poverty status, and assessment characteristics included the language of assessment (Spanish vs. English) and linguistic grain size (vocabulary vs. listening comprehension). Data were from 208 Spanish-English emergent bilingual children in Grade 1 in the United States and were analyzed using explanatory item response models. Substantial variance in the tasks across both languages was attributable to the random effects of assessment/item (74%) and person (26%). English learner status was a significant student predictor of language performance, and the instructional program was a significant ecological predictor of language performance. Regarding assessment characteristics, both the language of assessment and linguistic grain size explained the variance in performance. There were no differences in performance on English assessments between children in the Spanish-English bilingual program and children in the English immersion program. However, on the Spanish tasks, children in the bilingual program outperformed their peers in the English immersion program. These findings highlight the importance of considering not only person/child characteristics but also ecological and assessment characteristics for Spanish-English bilingual children's performance on oral language tasks. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.26972749.

Dynamic Interaction Between Text Characteristics, Order and Time of Assessment on Bilingual Student Reading Efficiency in Spanish and in English

In this study, we examine the dynamic interaction between (a) text characteristics such as genre, number of multisyllabic words, order of texts, and time of assessment (i.e., beginning, middle, or end of the school year), and (b) student fluency described here as text reading efficiency (TRE; Kim et al., 2021) in Spanish and in English. TRE is operationalized as words read correct per minute (WCPM). Participants were 817 s grade Spanish native speakers attending different types of bilingual programs. To examine the interaction of text characteristics and TRE, we first equated texts and then ran a series of mixed effects models. We also examined text characteristics descriptively. Findings indicated that, in general, text characteristics, order of texts, and different timepoints had a significant effect on students’ TRE. Although a clear pattern of differences between texts within and across languages did not emerge, regardless of language, students read fewer words in texts in the beginning of the year than in the middle and at the end of the year. Spanish texts included more multisyllabic words than did English texts, which could explain, in part, lower WCPM in Spanish than in English. Impact Statement Words read correct per minute (WCPM) is considered a reliable indicator of students’ reading fluency and comprehension in the early grades in Spanish and in English. Given potential differences in text characteristics and in the time of assessment (i.e., beginning, middle, or end of the school year), equating texts and examining their differences in Spanish and in English can lead to more accurate and effective identification and support for a student population that is increasingly more culturally and linguistically diverse.

The contribution of exterior schoolscapes to neighbourhoods: a linguistic landscape analysis during COVID-19 school closures

ABSTRACT Within neighbourhoods, exterior signage of schools is part of the overall linguistic landscape. As community members pass by, these signs contribute to the languages they read. Additionally, signs serve functions in keeping with their visibility. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada (March – August 2020) school buildings were closed to students, yet exterior signage remained present for passersby. In this study, how the languages and functions of these schoolscapes contributed to the overall linguistic landscape during this time period was explored. We photographed 1452 signs from Bilingual Programme schools and their neighbourhoods. We analysed the languages and Halladayan functions of the signs to investigate how school signs contributed to the overall linguistic landscape. English-only signs were predominant, and most signs served as regulatory (rule-enforcing), including the small sample of signs that were specific to the COVID-19 pandemic. We argue that schoolscapes influenced the multilingualism of the neighbourhoods through their languages of instruction. Schoolscapes mainly functioned in regulating behaviour of passersby and communicating that their spaces were largely closed to them as outsiders. These findings confirm the important contribution of schoolscapes in the ecology of the linguistic landscape.

“I Have Magic in My Mouf!”: Embodied languaging enactments of African American multilingual students in a Spanish-English immersion program

There is limited research that examines African American students’ language learning experiences in Spanish-English dual-language program settings, which exacerbates the narrative that African American students are not the “ideal” demographic for bilingual programs. To address these concerns, we highlight the experiences of two African American multilingual children to examine how they form their translanguaging repertoires. Specifically, we focus on three types of enactments in which they embodied these repertoires, which revealed how they engaged language learning in dynamic and varied ways. These examples further challenge traditional norms engendered in bilingual programming writ large that exhibit narrow viewpoints of language speakers and language speaking.

Analysis of Bilingual Implementation in Improving Students' English Proficiency in Islamic Boarding Schools

Improving English language skills among santri in pesantren is a challenge that requires innovative approaches, such as bilingual programs. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of bilingual implementation in improving the English language skills of santri in pesantren. The research method involved statistical evaluation of reading and writing test scores and questionnaire responses in measuring the impact of the program, complemented by thematic analysis of the qualitative data to identify key themes related to program implementation and effectiveness. The reading test results showed that 75% of the santri achieved ‘Good’ to ‘Very Good’ scores, signaling strong reading comprehension. However, the writing test results showed that no santri achieved a ‘Very Good’ score, although 35% of santri scored ‘Good’ and 43% scored ‘Fair,’ indicating proficiency in writing mechanics, grammar, and vocabulary. The perspective of the santri regarding the bilingual program was also positive, with the majority agreeing or strongly agreeing with the program's effectiveness. The implications of this study suggest that while the bilingual program effectively improves reading skills, there needs to be further focus on developing writing skills. Suggestions for future research include longitudinal research and a broader evaluation of language skills to gain a holistic view of the effectiveness of the bilingual program.

Using Two-Way Immersion Program in Teaching English in Kazakhstan: Teachers’ View

The Program of Two-way immersion is a form of integration students from two different groups and contemporary studying of two languages and subjects on these languages. The method as a method was appeared in Canada in the early 1960s. The program of TWI adherence to the following criteria: 1. The number of students is the same in two group; 2) groups gathered into one group according to the main subjects; 3) all main subjects are taught in two languages simultaneously. Two types of TWI program: 50\50; 90\10. This qualitative study aims to examine teachers’ views on the implementation the bilingual program into educational process of Kazakhstan. The literature review showed that Two-way immersion program is one of the innovative methods within the trilingual education of Kazakhstan, that not sufficiently studied and approved. It was hypothesized that TWI program makes an effect on trilingualism of Kazakhstan. For checking the awareness of this program, it was conducted an experimental work in Karaganda Buketov University, Kazakhstan. (103 teachers from the faculty of foreign languages, within five departments: Department of foreign philology; Foreign languages department; Department of translation theory and practice; Department of the theory and practice of foreign language training; Department of the practical foreign language course)The results demonstrate that this program is not sufficiently studied, becomes relevant in the educational process and informative, as well as to create the necessary methodological recommendations. The usage of TWI program improves the system of bilingual education in Kazakhstan, expands the level of professional readiness of teachers and students, develops high levels of academic competence and motivation.

New evidence on the impact of learning in a foreign language on educational outcomes

A Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) method, in which some subjects are taught in a foreign language (English), was initiated in Spain in 2005 and has progressively extended to half of public schools. The results have been very positive; however, it has been argued that studying subjects in a foreign language may reduce the educational outcomes of students. This paper evaluates this criticism in the Madrid bilingual program adopting a Propensity Score Matching approach, with the PISA 2015 and 2018 data. The model defines a homogenous student subsample from bilingual and nonbilingual schools in terms of the observable characteristics that may jointly influence both the selection of school type and educational scores. Our results, robust to the sample and unobservable hidden bias, indicate that the Madrid bilingual program, in addition to improving students' English level, does not reduce the skills of subjects taught in English or in Spanish.

Inclusive teaching practices implemented in primary school bilingual programmes in Spain: Teachers’ views and associated factors

Promoting plurilingualism and the provision of inclusive and good-quality education are currently two converging challenges. However, despite the difficulties expressed by teachers in catering to diversity in their bilingual classrooms, the implementation of inclusive practices has received little attention. This study aims to analyse how teachers perceive their use of inclusive practices in primary school bilingual programmes and to identify associated sociodemographic characteristics. In total, a sample of 300 teachers completed the ad hoc designed Inclusive Teaching Practices in Bilingual Education scale. The results of the survey showed that inclusive practices associated with the dimensions of linguistic aspects, materials and resources, and assessment are more frequently used than those associated with methodology, groupings, and collaboration with teachers and families. Moreover, those teachers who were English specialists, were more experienced at teaching in a bilingual programme, used English to a greater extent in the classroom, were highly proficient in English, and who received help from a support teacher used inclusive practices more frequently in their classrooms. Overall, teachers in bilingual education have a positive perception of their use of inclusive practices, but more work is needed regarding collaboration and providing a more personalised approach to education through appropriate scaffolding strategies and feedback.

Linguistic complexity of elementary mathematics word problems and their translations

Because word problems present mathematical information through a scenario, they are language-intensive and require mathematical and reading comprehension skills to solve them. In addition, they are linguistically complex, which makes them challenging for all learners, especially multilingual learners. Given the rising number of dual-language bilingual programs in the United States—which have the goal of simultaneously supporting content and language learning—it is important to understand the linguistic complexity of word problems and their translations. Therefore, we adopted a sociolinguistic perspective to recognize the inextricable relationship between language and mathematics and conducted a linguistic content analysis of Grades 1 and 4 addition/subtraction word problems in a widely used U.S. elementary curriculum. We analyzed the ways in which word problems were linguistically complex and how complexity differed between English, French, and Spanish translations. We found that word problems were complex due to vocabulary inconsistencies, assumed cultural knowledge, verb tenses, and errors. The French and Spanish translations also had more errors and inconsistencies than the English source text. Findings have implications for curriculum and assessment developers related to multilingual editing and linguistic and contextual consistency, as well as for teachers to support students’ engagement with language and mathematics.

Environmental Management in SD Alam Al Fath’s Bilingual Program: A Case Study

In the modern era, bilingual competencies not only enhance job opportunities and international collaboration but are also critical for effective environmental management in educational programs. Thus, environmental management of bilingual programs must be thoroughly examined and well-implemented. This article analyzes the policies and implementation of environmental management, along with influencing factors, at SD Alam Al Fath in Jambi City. The research employs a qualitative approach with a case study method developed from an interpretive paradigm. Through interviews, observations, documentation, and interactive analysis using Miles Huberman's approach, it is concluded that the environmental management of the bilingual program at SD Alam Al Fath in Jambi City is implemented through a well-structured series of daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly activities. There are five main supporting factors for these activities and three hindering factors: time constraints in the school environment, the lack of some supporting facilities, and various levels of language proficiency. This study suggests that student categorization can improve the effectiveness of bilingual programs in schools and similar programs elsewhere. However, if there is no possibility, inductive and expository strategies with direct and cooperative learning approaches could be preferred to improve the Arabic and English language proficiency of heterogeneous learners.