Students prepare a symposium on Dual Language Immersion programs
By Kayla A. Swenson
Students at Utah State University will be giving a dual
language immersion presentation at the research symposium this Friday. The
symposium will be hosted by the department of languages, philosophy and
communication studies.
Last year the department added two linguistics classes that
instruct students on teaching in DLI classrooms. Maria Louisa Spicer-Escalante,
a Professor of
Linguistics and Spanish, teaches both classes presenting at the
symposium.
“I’m excited about the symposium,” said Tempe Mabe, a
graduate student in the DLI class. “I think that a lot of people don’t know
about the Dual Language Immersion program here in Utah. Most people don’t know
that it’s growing.”
Utah’s Dual Language Immersion programs include a 50/50
module where elementary-high school students spend half of their day learning
core subjects in the target language and the other half in English.
“We have five languages, 25,000 students and 118 programs in
Spanish, Chinese, French, Portuguese and German and we are going to start in
the fall with Russian,” Spicer-Escalante said on the immersion programs in
Utah.
Throughout the semester students in the DLI linguistics
classes have been researching the different modules of immersion programs around
the world as well as exploring the politics that affect implementation.
“A lot of people still support English only education,” Mabe
said. “I’m from Iowa and I had never heard about dual language immersion
programs until I came to Utah.”
Most of the students presenting at the symposium are elementary
education and secondary education majors. Recently they have switched their
focus to becoming dual language immersion teachers.
Michelle Pfost, an Elementary Education major, learned
French while serving an LDS mission in France.
“I love the French language so much I thought that well, I
will combine both loves: teaching and the French language,” Pfost said.
For the past semester she has been student teaching the
French immersion class at Providence Elementary. Next year, Pfost will teach
third graders in the French dual language immersion program at Diamond Ridge
Elementary in West Valley.
To end the symposium Pfost will give a presentation
regarding reflections on teaching and learning in the DLI programs.
“DLI is a very current thing that could be applicable to
students who are getting married soon, starting a family soon and considering
what they want to do for their children in the future,” said Elizabeth Abell,
the moderator of the presentation.
The Symposium
will be held this Friday from 3:00-6:30 p.m. in Old Main.
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