What is language immersion? One-way immersion, two-way immersion, foreign language immersion...there are so many terms. What do they all mean?
Core Characteristics of Immersion Education
- Additive bilingualism with sustained and enriched instruction through the minority language and the majority language is promoted
- Subject area instruction through the minority language occurs for at least 50% of the school day during the elementary school years
- Teachers are fully proficient in the language(s) they use for instruction
- Support for the majority language is strong and present in the community at large
- Clear and sustained separation of languages during instructional time
One-way Immersion:
- Student population consists of one language group that is learning a new language
- Exposure to the language takes place primarily in the classroom and school
Two-way Immersion:
- Student population consists of two different language groups learning the language of one of those groups
- The language of instruction involves both languages
Major types of Immersion Programs:
For more great information and clarification on dual immersion, check out the website from Center for Advanced Research in Language Acquisition (CARLA): http://www.carla.umn.edu/immersion/faqs.html