Dual Immersion Academy (DIA), a Spanish-English dual language elementary school (K-8) chartered by the Utah State Office of Education, opened in September 2007. DIA offers an educational choice for parents who want their children to become bilingual and bi-literate at the age when their young minds have the greatest aptitude for language development. The well-researched and proven effectiveness of dual immersion schools includes data on higher performance in all academic subject areas and increased ability to acquire additional languages. At DIA, where diversity is the standard, we believe our differences are assets. The Academy will provide children with successful learning experiences, increasing positive self-image. Students learn to study and work cooperatively within flexible groups, learning from one another as well as their instructors. In these groupings they learn interdependence, individual accountability, shared responsibility and social leadership skills. DIA’s graduates will have a profound and immensely influential impact upon Utah’s social, economic and cultural life. Dual Immersion Academy provides a dual language educational opportunity for families in our community. The goal of Dual Immersion Programs such as what we have at DIA is to promote native like bilingualism and bi literacy, achieve grade level academic achievement or higher, and encourage positive cross-cultural attitudes and behaviors in all students. Through a lottery system we work to achieve the ideal Dual Immersion classroom which is made up of 50% native Spanish speakers and 50% English speakers. The native English speakers and native Spanish speakers are integrated throughout the school day receiving content instruction and literacy instruction in both languages. Therefore, both groups of students have an opportunity to be peer role models. According to research, the benefits of the Immersion Bilingual Program are educational, cognitive, socio-cultural, and economic (Calderon & Carreon, 2000; Cloud et al., 2000).
• Educational: Students acquire high levels of proficiency in both their first and second language while developing high-level academic skills.
• Cognitive: Bilingual students are able to problem solve more creatively. Their knowledge of the structural properties of the language allows them to decode academic language more efficiently.
• Socio-cultural: Bilingual people are able to understand and communicate with members of other cultural groups. They are also able to respect the values and customs of the speakers of other languages.
• Economic: There are jobs that call for bilingual or multilingual proficiency. Bilingual students’ knowledge of another world language is a valuable resource that can contribute to the nation’s economic relations with other countries. For more information, please visit our website.
