Yan Chen CBSE 7201, Fall 2016 Midterm Presentation Does Dual Language Immersion Influence Social Relationships of 1st graders? Yan Chen CBSE 7201, Fall 2016 Midterm Presentation

Table of Contents Introduction Statement of the Problem Review of Related Literature Statement of the Hypothesis

Introduction Continued growth in the number of immigrant students. Increasing number of student for whom English is a second language. Students in a Non-English household reached almost 10 million in 2004. Educators struggle to provide effective language programs in diverse classrooms. Limited interaction between language diverse students. Some educators choose to view these challenges as opportunities by offering a bilingual immersion programs (Alanis, & Rodriguez, 2008).

Statement of the Problem In PS X a general 1st grade classroom consists of English only students and ELL Chinese students. The problem is these two groups of students self-separate. During team activities, they prefer being arranged with others from their language group.  The problem is mainly a language barrier. The solution is to find a method of increasing interaction between these two groups of students. Can dual language immersion improve the relationship of students with different language backgrounds?

Literature Review There are two practice methods of Dual Language Immersion most commonly used in classrooms; 90/10 and 50/50 language splits (Lindholm-Leary, 2016). How it Relates: Selecting between these two methods will likely have a direct influence on the results of my research. I’ve to chosen to proceed with a 50/50 language split. 2. Research on Dual Language Enrichment (DLE) programs demonstrates students success. There are important challenges in DLE that can impact the quality of these programs; that is, how well the programs are designed and implemented. (Lindholm-Leary, 2012) Part of the program design is to convince parents of the both groups that their children will not “fall behind” as compared to their peers in other non-DLE learning environments.

Literature Review 3. The dual language program provides an atmosphere that allows students to acquire a second language and learn about another culture without sacrificing their individual identities (Alanis, & Rodriguez, 2008). How it Relates: It allows students of the target language (Chinese) to retain their identity while also being more accepted by the English-only students. 4. While students were becoming proficient in two languages, they were also creating their identities and beginning to understand issues of language and society and formulating ideologies (Lopez, 2011). Part of my research to is encourage students to keep their heritage as part of their self identity.

Literature Review 5. Shifting participation structures to incorporate technology and multiple instruction models provided opportunities for immigrant students to become more visible in the classroom (Schultz, & Coleman-King, 2012). How it Relates: Immigrant students tend to participate less in class. My intervention is to encourage more participation. 6. Role play is a speaking activity. This activity provides students with more opportunities to “act” and “interact” with their friends and classmates (Chauhan, 2015). Students can learn while playing. In my research, I will integrate role play into my lesson plan.

Literature Review 7. Two-way programs typically share the goals of bilingual proficiency, academic achievement, and positive cross cultural attitudes and behaviors, but they vary a good deal in the approaches and strategies they use to work toward those goals (Christian, 1996). How it Relates: My goal is to improve relationships among students. This will directly influence my method of improving cultural understanding rather than second language attainment. 8. Language brokering is the process of interpreting and translating between culturally and linguistically different people and mediating interactions in a variety of situations (Sook Lee, Hill-Bonnet, & Raley, 2011). The intent of my research is to test an idea for improving learning in a diverse, multi-lingual classroom through the use of language.

Literature Review 9. Successful foreign language study leads to increased child’s cognitive skills, and enhanced higher achievement and test scores (Stewart, 2005). How it Relates: In day to day life Bilingualism allows for social interactions between people of diverse language and cultural backgrounds. 10. Teachers described the particular challenges of immersion teaching (Walker, & Tedick, 2000). Most challenges of immersion teaching were related to unique and local contexts. I must be prepared to adjust my lesson plans during the course of the intervention.

Statement of Hypothesis To implement a form of dual language immersion to 16 Mandarin students and 15 English-speaking students in a 1st grade classroom.  The dual language immersion program will be a five-week period. Dual language lessons will be given 4 times a week for about 45 minutes each day after lunch. On alternating days’ students will be required to speak either only Mandarin or only English for the 45 minute session. The dual language immersion program will be conducted by use of story books, flash cards, cartoons, sing-alone activities, role plays and labels throughout the classroom. A short, simple Survey will be given to each individual student at the beginning and end of the program to measure any change in the class. A simple oral test will be used to measure how much of the foreign language they have learned in the program. A student and parent(s) engaged activity will be assigned at the end as well.

References Lindholm-Leary, K. (2016). Students’ Perceptions of Bilingualism in Spanish and Mandarin Dual Language Programs. International Multilingual Research Journal, 10(1), 59-70. Stewart, J. (2005). Foreigner Language Study in Elementary Schools: Benefits and Implications for Achievement in Reading and Math. Early Childhood Education Journal, 33(1), 11-16. Alanis, I., Rodriguez M. (2008). Sustaining a Dual Language Immersion Program: Features of Success. Journal of Latino and Education, 7(4), 305-319. Lindholm-Leary, K. (2012). Success and Challenges In Dual Language Education. Theory Into Practice, 51, 256-262. Christian, D. (1996). Two-Way Immersion Education: Students Learning through Two Languages. The Modern Language Journal, 80(1), 66-76. Chauhan, P.M., (2015). Role Play: A Means of Dialogue for Learning English Language. Arts and Social Sciences Journal, 6(4), 132. doi: 10.4172/2151-6200.1000132 Lopez, M., (2011). Children’s language ideologies in a first-grade dual-language class. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 12(2), 176-201. Sook Lee, J., Hill-Bonnet, L., Raley, J. (2011). Examining the Effects of Language Brokering on Student Identities and Learning Opportunities in Dual Immersion Classrooms. Journal of Language, Identity, and Education, 10, 306-326. Schultz, K., & Coleman-King, C., (2012). Becoming Visible: Shifting Teacher Practice to Actively Engage New Immigrant Students in Urban Classrooms. . The Urban Review, 44(4), 487-509. Walker, C. L., & Tedick, D. J., (2000). The Complexity of Immersion Education: Teachers Address the Issues. The Modern Language Journal,84, i, 5-27.