Dual Language
Parent Information Meeting
2024-2025
Belton ISD Team
Objectives
What is a Dual Language Two-Way Program?
Why choose a Dual Language Program?
01.
02.
Students participating in the dual language program reach the highest levels of achievement compared to their English peers. Students score higher on state and national tests than students that are participating in any other type of program.
DL students outscore their peers who are not participating in DL programs and many large-scale studies from all regions of the U.S. have illustrated long-term high achievement of students who are participating in DL programs
(Thomas and Collier, 2012)
Research by Collier-Thomas
Benefits of Bilingualism
Language Acquisition
First Language
Second Language
Universal process regardless of home language; babies listen to the sounds around them and begin to imitate
them and eventually start producing words.
Utilizes knowledge from the first language & mirrors the process an individual goes through as he or she learns the elements of a new language
Stages of Language Acquisition
Pre Production | This is also called "the silent period," when the student takes in the new language but does not speak it. This period often lasts six weeks or longer, depending on the individual. |
Early Production | The individual begins to speak using short words and sentences, but the emphasis is still on listening and absorbing the new language. There will be many errors in the early production stage. |
Speech Emergence | Speech becomes more frequent, words and sentences are longer, but the individual still relies heavily on context clues and familiar topics. Vocabulary continues to increase and errors begin to decrease, especially in common or repeated interactions. |
Beginning Fluency | Speech is fairly fluent in social situations with minimal errors. New contexts and academic language are challenging and the individual will struggle to express themselves due to gaps in vocabulary and appropriate phrases. |
Intermediate Fluency | Communicating in the second language is fluent, especially in social language situations. The individual is able to speak almost fluently in new situations or in academic areas, but there will be gaps in vocabulary knowledge and some unknown expressions. There are very few errors, and the individual is able to demonstrate higher order thinking skills in the second language such as offering an opinion or analyzing a problem. |
Advanced Fluency | The individual communicates fluently in all contexts and can maneuver successfully in new contexts and when exposed to new academic information. At this stage, the individual may still have an accent and use idiomatic expressions incorrectly at times, but the individual is essentially fluent and comfortable communicating in the second language. |
Factors that affect Language Acquisition
Program Goals
The goal of the program is to help students become bilingual, biliterate, and to expand their socio-cultural competencies while promoting high academic achievement.
Dual Language Framework
Program Language Allocation
Campuses with a Dual Language Program
Chisholm Trail
Belton Early Childhood School
Charter Oak
Southwest
Testimonial
Is my child a good candidate for the Dual Language Program?
Common traits of successful Dual Language students:
How do I ensure my child embarks on this pathway to biliteracy?
Questions
Parent Interest Form