Spanish Immersion
What is Dual Language Immersion?
Dare County Schools is excited to offer the Dual language immersion program in Spanish. Dual language immersion provides an attractive option for all parents who want to offer their child with the competitive advantage of being able to speak two languages fluently. Parents wishing to enroll their child in the program must start during the child's kindergarten year. Once enrolled, students spend from 50 to 90 percent of their day fully immersed in the Spanish language with a highly qualified, native Spanish-speaking teacher. The results are amazing! Within months, students in the program begin to develop conversational Spanish speaking ability!
Children who learn in two languages benefit from high academic achievement, language proficiency, increased critical thinking skills, increased cognitive development and greater cultural sensitivity, according to recent studies.
Our Partnership with Participate, the Language Immersion Experts
Built on more than 25 years of supporting language instruction and solid experience in implementation and support of dual language programs, Participate provides a comprehensive framework to develop high-quality dual immersion programs. Each of our dual language teachers receives intensive support to ensure that our scholars are exposed to the most recent research-based instructional strategies.
Immersion Program Features:
- Teachers from Participate receive continuous support, coaching and training. These native Spanish-speaking teachers were selected through a rigorous and highly competitive process. Rest assured, once in the program, your child will have a highly qualified teacher.
- Resources for parents and students, i.e.: homework help, free Spanish language classes for parents.
- All of our Spanish Immersion teachers make a commitment to live in the surrounding communities.
- Standards-aligned curricular content, grade-level material recommendations and suggested curricular maps.
- Parent and community outreach resources.
Dual Language Immersion FAQs
Click the plus sign before each question to view the answer to frequently asked questions about the DLI program.
- What is a Dual Language Immersion class?
- What is language immersion education?
- What are the goals and benefits of a Dual Language Program?
- What does it look like?
- How many dual language immersion classes are being offered in Dare County Schools?
- What is the class size of a DLI classroom?
- How do I sign-up my child for a spot in a Dual Language Immersion classroom?
- What is the deadline date for transferring into the Dual Language Immersion program?
- My older child is currently in DLI. Will my younger child be enrolled in the DLI Program?
- My English-dominant son is in 2nd grade and he still isn’t speaking much Spanish. Is the program working?
- My fourth-grade daughter has been in the program and is already bilingual in Spanish and English. Should she stay in the program?
- Will my child progress through the curriculum at a slower rate than children in general education classes because he/she is learning it in Spanish too?
- Is an immersion program only appropriate for high-performing students?
- My child is in a full immersion program, so how will he learn the English skills he needs to be successful on EOGs and other assessments in English?
- Will my child be able to speak English in class until she learns enough vocabulary to communicate?
- How can I help support my child in doing homework in the second language, particularly if I don’t know that language?
- What is my role as a parent in a Dual Language Program?
- Will my child take state-mandated assessments in the foreign language?
- Will classroom assessments be in English for children in the immersion program?
- Tell me more about your partner, Participate Learning.
- Will international faculty have previous experience working as immersion teachers?
- Can my child move out of dual immersion and into a traditional class if he or she is struggling?
- What if my child doesn't respond well or doesn't like it?
- What happens in middle and high school after completing an elementary immersion program?
- If I unenroll my child from DCS for a period of time, can they re-enter the Dual Language Immersion program upon re-enrollment?
- Who do I contact if I have questions?