15 Dual Immersion: Arguments from a Guinea Pig

About the Author

Melody Nelson was born and raised in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah. She is a freshman at Utah State University majoring in Biology and minoring in Chinese. She loves to sing, read, and ski and hopes to become a doctor one day.

This essay was composed in December 2021 and uses MLA documentation.

WHEN I WAS SIX YEARS OLD, I started learning Mandarin Chinese. Along with 60 other students in the program, we were the first class in Utah of Dual Immersion students: the guinea pigs. I remember my parents asking if I wanted to learn Chinese and being thrilled to learn something exciting. Little did I know how much that decision would change my life. At first, it was to understand my teacher and learn how to write characters. I remember how good I felt when after two years, I finally started to catch on and was able to understand when she spoke to us. I remember when people from Deseret news came into our classroom and filmed us learning Chinese. I remember struggling to learn my multiplication tables in Chinese but having no problem when I had to say them in English.

Most Americans don’t know a foreign language, but growing up learning a second foreign language my parents don’t know, I got lots of questions about it. It was unique. I learned to love the culture, music, and people. I love meeting people, speaking to them in a foreign language, and connecting with them. Chinese became not only a second language but my second home. The state of Utah should continue to expand and improve Dual Immersion programs in Utah because it would benefit Utah in a variety of different ways.

Dual Immersion is a program in the 1st through 6th grades that immerses students in another language for half of the day and English for the other half of the day. The program technically ends in 6th grade, but the students may continue learning the language in 7th, 8th, and 9th grades in hour classes instead of half the day until they take their Language AP test in 9th grade. An AP language class had been the highest-level language class available in the US until Dual Immersion started. Dual Immersion programs opened the door to college Concurrent Enrollment language courses in high schools in Utah. Once students pass the AP test in their target language, Bridge program courses are available for the rest of high school.

The human brain remains a mystery despite everything scientists have discovered in the last century. After some poorly executed studies throughout the 1920s to 1950s, it was thought that learning a second language makes an individual less intelligent. As seen in the book Bilingualism and Mental Development, they believed the mother tongue was superior, and learning a second language lowered intelligence, as children had their test scores drop when they knew a second language (Smith). These studies are not realized today as researchers discovered the poor test scores of the children in those studies had more to do with the environment they were raised in during war than the fact that they knew a second language. It has since been proven wrong that learning a second language will not lower intelligence but instead increase intelligence (although how much is still debated). Even so, there’s an abundance of new exciting research revealing how speaking a second language can change the brain, especially in children and the elderly. The process of learning is all about creating new brain pathways for the brain to remember that information. Learning two languages improves the brain in stimulating ways scientists still try to understand.

First and foremost, bilingualism improves executive function. Executive function is when the brain decides what to focus on and what information to use. According to Ramin Skibba, an astrophysicist and science writer, when someone speaks another language, they must manage interference and choose between the two vocabulary and grammar systems to speak a sentence. Therefore, people who speak another language will be better at focusing and doing multiple tasks at once. Speaking another language increases the speed of the brain as it chooses tasks. There are many ways to improve executive function in the brain, but none are as effective as speaking two languages.

Bilingualism also changes the brain’s structure as it creates new pathways that were not there before—because of this, learning a second language has a more significant advantage as a child and can even increase test scores. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not true that it’s easier to learn another language as a child. Children are in the process of creating new signaling pathways in the brain, while adults already have the pathways they need. Nonetheless, this does not mean adults can’t form new pathways. Children have flexible brains, but it has to do with the schooling environment. Adults have jobs and less time to dedicate to learning a language than children in school do. The mental advantage of teaching a second language to children is that they have the time to learn and the flexibility to grasp new concepts better (Skibba). Once a person reaches adulthood, the difference between monolinguals and bilinguals, along with the advantage from childhood, disappears.

Furthermore, new research suggests that using a second language daily can benefit the brain later in life. As stated in the Annual Review of Linguistics, a journal that covers significant discoveries in linguistics, “bilinguals present symptoms comparable to monolinguals with more-intact brains.” (Antoniou). Their data indicated two people of the same age could have different levels of neurodegeneration depending on whether they were monolingual or bilingual. This evidence suggests speaking a second language could compensate for neurodegeneration linked to Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, learning a second language when an individual is old or already knows one as they age can help keep their memory intact. In short, learning a second language can improve brain function when someone is young or old. Dual Immersion has the advantage of teaching someone a language when they are young that they can use for the rest of their lives. Someone who was in Dual Immersion has those extra pathways already created and doesn’t need to compensate for neurodegeneration as they age by learning a new language.

In addition, the Dual Immersion program creates incredible opportunities for students in college and their future careers. When the state of Utah created the Dual Immersion program, its goal was to help create opportunities for students and increase the likelihood of their success. The Dual Immersion program leads directly into the college Bridge courses in high school after the AP test. As a result, high school students can access 3000-level upper-division college classes as early as sophomores through bridge courses. This is a unique opportunity because no other upper-division courses are offered through concurrent enrollment, which is only offered to juniors and seniors. A Utah System of Higher education study found that “Low-income students who participate in concurrent enrollment are almost twice as likely to attend college than low-income students who do not participate in concurrent enrollment” (Do Concurrent Enrollment Courses Impact College Participation). The increase they discovered is phenomenal and should not be disregarded. Attending college increases the chances of success, and if the state of Utah can increase the likelihood of students–especially lower-income students–going to college, it should do it. Although there are several Concurrent Enrollment Dual Immersion gives direct access to college courses in high school and thus increases the chance of participating students going to college and succeeding.

The Dual Immersion program can increase the likelihood of them going to college and give them opportunities in their future careers and better colleges. Of course, not all students who graduate from Dual Immersion and Bridge programs will use their second language in their careers, but it will open the doors for many new careers. Compared to the rest of the world, the United States is behind, and few Americans can speak a second language. According to the article Why Don’t Americans Know More Foreign Languages? from Babbel magazine,

26 percent of American adults were capable of holding a conversation in another language. But less than 1 percent are actually proficient in a language they studied in a US classroom, even though 93 percent of US high schools were offering foreign language courses as of 2008. (Koyfman)

This exposes not only how few Americans know a second language overall but how inadequate our education system currently is at teaching a second language. As you can imagine, it’s rare for an American to speak a second language fluently. Not enough qualified people know a second language to fill positions in private businesses and the military. Knowing a second language fluently creates opportunities in translation for private businesses and the military because there are not many people who can fill those positions. It also can increase a student’s chances of getting into a better college because it makes them a more competitive applicant. Because the Dual Immersion program is still young, there are not many students from the Dual Immersion programs in their careers, and it may take more years before Utah begins to see its effects, but it will undoubtedly be there.

In the last few years, I have seen the fruits of the Dual Immersion program in my life. Through the Dual Immersion and Bridge program, I took Chinese 3116, 3117, and 3118 in high school at the University of Utah. By the time I graduated, I only needed one to two classes to finish a minor in Chinese. The long-term opportunities of speaking a second language are why my parents placed me in the Dual Immersion program in the first place. I can only imagine how speaking Chinese will help when I apply for medical school and when I become a doctor.

As I previously discussed, learning a second language can boost the brain and help students succeed in school. Because the Dual Immersion program begins in first grade, students have an early start in learning a language. In the US, most students start taking language classes in junior high and high school. Very few, if any, can make it to the AP level in their chosen language; if they do, it would most likely be during their senior year. With the Dual Immersion program, students are not only at the AP level during their freshman year of high school but most likely college level. The study “Learner Performance in Mandarin Immersion and High School World Language Programs: A Comparison” for the Foreign Language Annals found that 5th and 6th graders “slightly outperformed the comparison high school group in reading” (Xu et al.). Students in elementary could not only compete with but outperform, in some areas, students much older than them. Even if students dropped out of the Dual Immersion program without finishing, they would still have language skills closer to high schoolers. With the Dual Immersion program, elementary school students succeed better than their peers in high school in learning a second language. From what scientists know, we can presume that learning a second language makes one smarter. This gives students an advantage while they are young and a greater chance of success while in school.

There is also tangible evidence that learning a second language through Dual Immersion programs helps students score higher in English. More importantly, it had an even greater impact on English Language learners. A study conducted by Rand Corporation, a company dedicated to research and analysis, determined that Dual Immersion programs not only “improved reading in English, but increased English proficiency for English learners…and did not come at the cost of performance in mathematics or science.” (Steele). Because learning a second language has benefits for the brain and increases intelligence in children, it naturally would help them succeed in school. Anything that can help students begin succeeding at a young age and beyond should be pursued. Because the US is a melting pot of immigrants, there are many English learners, and helping English language learners succeed is a huge concern. Dual Immersion programs work the best as they learn English and their native language at the same time instead of suppressing their native language.

I have seen how being in the Dual Immersion program encouraged me to succeed. Because I spoke Chinese fluently, I was able to become the World Language Sterling Scholar of my high school. Since I mastered a second language, especially one as hard as Chinese, I was more confident and tried more challenging classes later in high school. It’s worth noting that the students in the Chinese Dual Immersion program with me also made up the majority of honors and AP classes when we got to junior high and high school. About half of the Sterling Scholars of my high school were also from the Dual Immersion program.

Finally, the Dual Immersion program helps students become better world citizens. The United States has traditionally been isolated by oceans on either side and thus lags in teaching second languages. But in our increasingly international world, learning about other cultures and languages is now more critical than ever. A study from the journal Bilingualism: Language and Cognition argued that a “high level of multilingualism and multiculturalism represents the kind of enduring socio-cultural influence that can shape personality” (Dewaele and Wei). Essentially, this means that when someone learns a new language, they are more open-minded and have a higher tolerance for ambiguity. Ambiguity is when there is uncertainty about something. Specifically, knowing a second language makes someone more tolerant of uncertainty. This skill could make someone less anxious when confronted with challenging or new situations or new people and can communicate more easily. They are more comfortable with what they don’t know and open to learning new things. As the United States strives for peace with other countries, it’s crucial to increase tolerance of new people and cultures.

Despite the many benefits of the Dual Immersion program, many arguable concerns remain. Is a Dual Immersion program the best way to spend state money when it only benefits a few students? Is the program succeeding when so few make it to high school and many drop out earlier before they reach the Bridge program? According to Dr. Jill Landes-Lee, the head of the Utah bridge Program, to fund the program, the state of Utah spends 10% of public taxpayer money to support the schools with bridge and Dual immersion programs and to hire teachers. Utah state money should be spent wisely in a way that will help all students of the state succeed. Because the programs are limited and can only accept as many students as they have teachers, Dual Immersion programs are not available to everyone right now. According to an article from EducationWeek, there is also a shortage of quality teachers for Dual Immersion programs(Liebtag and Haugen). As more states get Dual Immersion programs and more languages are studied, there are fewer teachers to fill the crucial positions. So why should Utah spend the money to find those teachers when it will only benefit even fewer? While this is true, the program’s benefits are worth the cost. It will take some time to adjust to the increased demand for teachers and adjust schools to the programs, but eventually, there will be a strong base of Dual Immersion programs in the state that will increase the number of people that know a second language. There is immense potential in how Dual Immersion programs will impact the state and the rest of the nation. To keep up with the increasingly international world, Americans will have to learn other languages and what better way to do that than a Dual Immersion program? Learning a language for only junior high and high school has proven insufficient for becoming fluent, and most students consider it a waste of time. Learning a second language at a young age gives them time to adjust and grow in the language to become truly fluent in it.

But what happens if a student drops out early? Or doesn’t pass the AP test and can’t take the college classes? Wouldn’t that be a waste? To answer this, I interviewed a friend who didn’t pass the test after taking it twice. Even though she didn’t pass the AP test, she said learning Chinese allowed her to speak to a broader range of people, and she loves speaking to those she meets. Learning the language made her appreciate their culture and pushed her out of her boundaries. She said if she had started later in life, she probably wouldn’t have learned Chinese because it’s such a complex language. Instead, starting young helped her grow into it and be around hard-working students. Even without passing the AP test, learning the language still has benefits (Bagley). It can help push students and encourage them to work even harder.

Because of the multiple benefits of the program claim, Utah should continue to expand and improve Dual Immersion programs in the state of Utah. The Chinese Dual Immersion program shaped my life. I would not be where I am without it. And I want to give others the opportunities and fun I have had.

Works Cited

Antoniou, Mark. “The Advantages of Bilingualism Debate.” Annual Review of Linguistics, vol. 5, no. 1, 2019, pp. 395–415, 2018, https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-linguistics-011718-011820?jour nalCode=linguistics. Accessed 6 November 2021.

Bagley, Kara. Personal interview. 7 November 2021.

Dewaele, Jean-marc, and Li, Wei.“Is Multilingualism Linked to a Higher Tolerance of Ambiguity?” Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, vol. 16, no. 1, 2013, pp. 231–240, 2012, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bilingualism-language-and-cognition/article/is- multilingualism-linked-to-a-higher-tolerance-of-ambiguity/2C909C4C33BB214F162367 B713B9CD7B. Accessed 1 November 2021.

“Do Concurrent Enrollment Courses Impact College Participation and Completion?” Utah System of Higher Education, 4 Mar. 2015, https://ushe.edu/do-concurrent-enrollment-courses-impact-college-participation-and-com pletion/. Accessed 7 November 2021.

Koyfman, Steph.“Why Don’t Americans Know More Foreign Languages?” Babbel Magazine, Babbel, 6 Oct. 2018, www.babbel.com/en/magazine/american-foreign-language-education. Accessed 2 November 2021.

Landes-lee, Dr. Jill. Personal interview. 5 November 2021.

Liebtag, Emily and Caitlin Haugen. “Shortage of Dual-Language Teachers: Filling the Gap (Opinion).” Education Week, 19 May 2015, www.edweek.org/policy-politics/opinion-shortage-of-dual-language-teachers-filling-the- gap/2015/05. Accessed 8 November 2021.

Skibba, Ramin. “How a Second Language Can Boost the Brain.” Knowable Magazine, Annual Reviews, 29 Nov. 2018, https://knowablemagazine.org/article/mind/2018/how-second-language-can-boost-brain. Accessed 6 November 2021.

Smith, Frank. “Bilingualism and Mental Development.” British Psychological Society, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 13 Apr. 2011, https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2044-8295.1923.tb00101.x. Accessed 23 November 2021.

Steele, Jennifer L., et al. “Dual-Language Immersion Programs Raise Student Achievement in English.” RAND Corporation, 3 Nov. 2017, https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9903.html. Accessed 6 November 2021.

Xu, Xiaoqiu, et al. “Learner Performance in Mandarin Immersion and High School World Language Programs: A Comparison.” Foreign Language Annals, vol. 48, no. 1, 2015, pp. 26–38. Crossref, doi:10.1111/flan.12123. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/flan.12123. Accessed 27 November 2021.