The goal of dual immersion education is for all students to learn to read, speak, think and write fluently in both languages. Thus, dual immersion programs create an additive bilingual environment, which means that students' first language is maintained while they also learn a second language. This is particularly beneficial for students who are non-native English speakers and could be at risk of losing their native language skills in a transitional bilingual or English-only classroom environment.
According to the Center for Applied Linguistics, students in dual immersion classrooms typically perform as well as or better than students in other types of educational programs. Dual immersion curriculum uses both English and the partner language to teach academic content and literacy. Instead of duplicating lessons in each language, dual immersion teachers use a thematic approach and focus on cross-linguistics development to strengthen students' developing knowledge and skills. The result is an enriched educational experience that teaches the same academic content as English-only programs, while also providing an opportunity for students to become bilingual in both writing and speech.
Dual immersion programs are inherently diverse, typically drawing students with various racial, cultural, socioeconomic and linguistic backgrounds. Native English speakers and native speakers of the partner language each have the opportunity to serve as the expert and the learner at different times. This creates an environment where the two languages and cultures have equal status, thereby helping to instill a sense of pride and self-confidence in the students, as well as a sense of curiosity and respect toward other languages and cultures.
The positive effects of dual immersion education extend beyond the school-age years. Research conducted by Dr. Ellen Bialystok, a cognitive neuroscientist and research professor of psychology at Toronto's York University, has revealed many advantages of bilingualism into adulthood. Bilingual persons demonstrate better skill at multitasking and perform better than monolinguals on certain types of tests. As bilingual people age, they tend to maintain better cognitive functioning than monolingual people, and the onset of Alzheimer's disease symptoms tends to occur later in bilinguals than in monolinguals. Dual immersion education provides the opportunity for children to become fully bilingual adults, especially those students who come from English-only homes and would not otherwise be extensively exposed to other languages.