While roughly half the global population speaks at least two languages, only about 20% of U.S. residents can say the same.
Dual-language immersion programs, in which academic content is taught in two languages, help children become bilingual and offer a host of other benefits.
“The programs are really, I think, a silver bullet to ensure that all students achieve success in school and in life,” says Martha Hernandez, executive director of the language advocacy group Californians Together.
Dual-language immersion programs facilitate biliteracy – the ability to speak, listen, read and write proficiently in two languages – by taking advantage of young children’s propensity for language acquisition. Most programs start in kindergarten and follow children through elementary school, and some extend into middle or high school.