Our Dual Language (DL) Immersion Program is a unique educational Early-Total-One-Way (ETOW) Spanish Immersion model open to currently enrolled students in the Dual Language Immersion Spanish Track at Lansing Christian School (LCS). The ETOW model of dual language development at LCS has started with a 100% of Spanish language instruction in the elementary grades with English language instruction introduced gradually in the elementary grades moving towards engaging in the dual languages of English and Spanish in junior high for 50% of instruction in both English and Spanish. This program is an example of “One School in Two Languages”, where the dual language program intentionally has worked towards bilingualism and bi-literacy at no cost to English language development, attainment of academic vocabulary and literacy, cross-cultural competency and growth in empathetic responses to diversity in our world. Currently, LCS is only receiving students into the 3rd to 7th grade Dual Language Immersion classrooms with the grade level equivalent language proficiency.
How It Works
No prior knowledge or experience with Spanish is necessary for a student that enrolled in the Dual Language Immersion Program at LCS. Due to the ETOW model of dual language instruction, which strategically uses the Language First Systematic approach to learning Spanish, which prioritizes the minority language development (Spanish at LCS), to increase bilingual proficiency and promotes greater access to academic content in both languages of instruction. At LCS, the students in the Dual Language program received 100% of their academic instruction in Spanish from kindergarten through 2nd grade. Then, as the students entered third grade through 5th grade, English Specific Skills and some additional academic subjects were gradually taught in English, to build academic vocabulary in both Spanish and English. By 6th through 8th grade the dual language students are to receive about 50% of academic instruction in Spanish and English to maintain grade level bilingual and biliterate skills.
Partnership
Lansing Christian School partners with add.a.lingua, an organization that helps implement and support successful dual language programs. To learn more visit, the following sites:
- www.addalingua.com
- Instagram: @addalingua
- Facebook: add.a.lingua
- Twitter: @addalingua
