A Critical Examination of Bilingual Education Implementation: Evidence from Shuang Wen School's Dual Language Program
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71222/v4mdct66Keywords:
bilingual education, dual language programs, mandarin-English instruction, cultural identity, academic achievementAbstract
This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the bilingual education program at Shuang Wen School (P.S. 184M) in New York City's Chinatown through ethnographic observation, teacher interviews, and family consultations. Drawing on Cummins' Threshold Hypothesis and contemporary bilingual education research, this investigation examines how the school's dual-language program facilitates student development in both English and Mandarin while fostering cultural identity and academic achievement. Through systematic classroom observations and stakeholder interviews, the study identifies program areas requiring support including balanced language instruction, cultural integration, and community engagement, while also highlighting areas requiring enhanced support and resources. Findings suggest that successful bilingual education programs require sustained institutional commitment, adequate resource allocation, and recognition of linguistic diversity as an educational asset. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on effective bilingual education practices and provides practical recommendations for program improvement and policy development.
References
1. O. García and L. Wei, "Translanguaging, bilingualism, and bilingual education," in The Handbook of Bilingual and Multilingual Education, pp. 223-240, 2015, doi: 10.1002/9781118533406.ch13.
2. J. Cummins, "Linguistic interdependence and the educational development of bilingual children," in The New Immigrant and Language, pp. 72-101. Routledge, 2014. ISBN: 9781315054223.
3. J. Cummins, Language, Power, and Pedagogy: Bilingual Children in the Crossfire, vol. 23. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters, 2000. ISBN: 9781853594748.
4. W. Tsou and S. C. Tsai, "Interactive learning for professional development of bilingual education by a blended instructional approach," Interact. Learn. Environ., vol. 32, no. 5, pp. 1569-1581, 2024, doi: 10.1080/10494820.2022.2122510.
5. A. Newman, "A democratic framework for educational rights," Educ. Theory, vol. 62, no. 1, pp. 7-23, 2012, doi: 10.1111/j.1741-5446.2011.00432.x.
6. S. Melo-Pfeifer, "Translanguaging," Lang. Biling. Educ., 2015, doi: 10.1080/14708477.2014.950828.
7. S. Chang, "Developing preservice bilingual teachers’ transformative agency," Teach. Teach. Educ., vol. 137, p. 104405, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2023.104405.
8. N. Frigolé and E. Tresserras, "Teaching English as a foreign language in multilingual milieus in Catalonia: perspectives and practices of educators in three state schools," Int. J. Biling. Educ. Biling., vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 230–243, 2023, doi: 10.1080/13670050.2022.2114786.
9. K. Shoecraft, H. Massa, and L. Kenway, "Translanguaging pedagogies: Using an action research approach to support English as an Additional Language (EAL) students in a first-year undergraduate anatomy course," J. Engl. Acad. Purp., vol. 68, p. 101357, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.jeap.2024.101357.
10. E. Bialystok, "The bilingual adaptation: How minds accommodate experience," Psychol. Bull., vol. 143, no. 3, p. 233, 2017, doi: 10.1037/bul0000099.
11. H. Sun, J. Tan, and L. Feng, "Proficiency and compensatory strategies in bilingual children’s Mandarin Chinese narrative," Read. Writ., vol. 37, no. 7, pp. 1733–1752, 2024, doi: 10.1007/s11145-024-10541-8.
12. S. Baum and D. Titone, "Moving toward a neuroplasticity view of bilingualism, executive control, and aging," Appl. Psycho-linguist., vol. 35, no. 5, pp. 857–894, 2014, doi: 10.1017/S0142716414000174.
13. O. García, N. Flores, and H. Chu, "Extending bilingualism in US secondary education: New variations," Int. Multiling. Res. J., vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 1–18, 2011, doi: 10.1080/19313152.2011.539486.
14. M. G. Lang and G. E. García, "A teacher’s facilitation of Mexican immigrant students’ border crossings in a dual-language classroom," Int. J. Biling. Educ. Biling., vol. 27, no. 6, pp. 731–743, 2024, doi: 10.1080/13670050.2023.2232519.
15. K. Lindholm-Leary, "Success and challenges in dual language education," Theory Pract., vol. 51, no. 4, pp. 256–262, 2012, doi: 10.1080/00405841.2012.726053.
16. V. P. Collier and W. P. Thomas, "Validating the power of bilingual schooling: Thirty-two years of large-scale, longitudinal research," Annu. Rev. Appl. Linguist., vol. 37, pp. 203–217, 2017, doi: 10.1017/S0267190517000034.
17. D. K. Palmer, "Middle‐class English speakers in a two‐way immersion bilingual classroom: 'Everybody should be listening to Jonathan right now…'," Tesol Q., vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 177–202, 2009, doi: 10.1002/j.1545-7249.2009.tb00164.x.
18. H. Cahyani, M. de Courcy, and J. Barnett, "Teachers’ code-switching in bilingual classrooms: exploring pedagogical and soci-ocultural functions," Int. J. Biling. Educ. Biling., vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 465–479, 2018, doi: 10.1080/13670050.2016.1189509.
19. W. Pérez, J. A. Fishman, and R. Chávez, Developing minority language resources: The case of Spanish in California. Multilingual Matters, 2006, ISBN: 9781853598999.
20. R. K. Yin, Case study research and applications: Design and methods, 2017, ISBN: 9781506336169.
21. C. Baker, Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism. Multilingual Matters, 2011, ISBN: 9781853595240.
22. S. E. Chaparro, "Martín and the pink crayon: Peer language socialization in a kindergarten bilingual classroom," Int. J. Biling. Educ. Biling., vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 50–68, 2023, doi: 10.1080/13670050.2020.1786495.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Wensi Tan (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
