Welcome to Portola's DI Program
You realize that around the world, the best schools are all bi-lingual... They all
teach English as a second language...
- Ryan P. Alameda EMT/Paramedic Student
"The Astounding Effectiveness of Dual Language Education for All"
Authors:
Collier, V.P. Thomas, W.P. (2004).
Mrs. Anderson: First Grade
Welcome to Portola's Dual Immersion [DI] Program. We start in an unusual way, by citing a paper. Today, Dual Immersion extends far beyond teaching someone a second language. True programs that adhere to the tenents of Dual Immersion instruction push the envelope of cognitive development. Collier and Thomas present their investigations that span 2 decades. They use the word Astounding in describing the effectiveness of Dual Language programs. They discuss the benefits of the teaching model and point out that care must be taken in evaluating these programs.
We believe that Portola is in the unique position of being in a diverse community, where a portion of the population is fluent in English, and another portion is fluent in Spanish. This balance of students allows the dynamics that foster rapid progress in both languages in a DI program. Take a look at some videos of our actual classes. Students are taught in the core subjects completely in English on one day, then in Spanish on the next. Because of this rotation, teachers are paired together so that the child is making progress each day.
Consider all the work that is being done by each student's brain. Then, it is not so hard to understand Collier and Thomas' view that the astounding effectiveness is for All.
We will be referring to and sharing data and ideas from Collier and Thomas' paper throughout this website. To read the original paper, click on the link provided above.
