DUAL LANGUAGE IMMERSION
PLANNING GUIDE

WELCOME

Are you thinking of starting a dual language immersion (DLI) program in your district or at your site? Research shows it to be one of the most effective programs for all students, including English Learners, as it develops high levels of academic achievement and biliteracy.

Starting a DLI program involves many stakeholders and requires collaboration and support in making the decisions, both policy and pedagogical, necessary to create and launch a strong, successful, and sustainable DLI program.

We recommend that any district or site wanting to start a new DLI program use the Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education, the publication from the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) in Washington, D.C, which is based on the research on dual language education. The seven strands in the Guiding Principles provide guidance in building a DLI program that will deliver on the promise of the research findings.

We also recommend taking at least one full year for planning to allow adequate time to examine the many options there are for the various aspects and components of DLI and to determine the most appropriate ones for your district and site.

In this DLI Planning Guide, we draw upon the Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education in providing and explaining the steps in a series of modules for you to consider in order to plan and structure for the launch of a strong, successful, and sustainable DLI program.