Bilingual education sometimes consists of teaching a student in both languages simultaneosly. One school, El Instituto Bilingue de las Americas in Rosarito Beach, Baja, California, offers its morning session in Spanish and afternoon classes in English. Other schools alternate days for each language. Being bilingual means you can understand and communicate the same content in either language.
Academic content courses are typically taught in the student's native language while she studies her second language. This allows the student to learn such subjects as math, science and history while developing her English capabilities.
Students in bilingual programs have the opportunity to excel academically by reading content in their own language in science, math, history and other academic subjects. Their academic success in these content areas helps them build confidence in learning a second language.
Students develop transferable skills that prepare them to succeed academically in bilingual classes. They see that their native language and culture are valued and important and seek to retain their fluency in their mother tongue. Once they become good readers in their own language they can apply the same approach to reading in the target language.
Forcing students with poor language skills through immersion programs in English can destroy their motivation to learn a second language. But by raising their level of literacy and fluency in their native language you increase their chances of learning a second language.