Spanish Dual Language Program

The Spanish Dual Language Program welcomes students from a variety of language backgrounds. Dual language offers students a chance to add another language at the optimal age for language learning. Program instruction is systematically delivered in both English and Spanish languages. Students read, write, listen and speak in both languages becoming bilingual, biliterate and bicultural while working towards grade level academic achievement.

Students who join the program while they are young have the ability to gain language ability faster and develop language skills similar to a native learner. Language learning at a young age increases cognitive development and allows for deeper levels of understanding which may lead to greater success in university language courses and employment opportunities. Language skills open the door to other countries, cultures and people.

Spanish Dual Language Program Frequently Asked Questions

APPLY TO THE SPANISH DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM

Program Outcomes

Our program goal is for each student in the Spanish Dual Language Program to achieve the following:

Biliteracy: Students will be able to read and write at advanced levels in both English and Spanish.
Biculturalism: Students will develop positive cross-cultural attitudes to become competent global citizens.
Academic Achievement: Students will be able to achieve at or above grade level in academic subjects and be prepared for college and career.

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12011 NE 1st Street
Bellevue, WA 98005
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Spanish Dual Language Frequently Asked Questions

How do I help my student if I don’t speak Spanish?

If your student enrolls in a dual language school, learn about how the model works and what students will be learning in each language.
Attend school events and learn a few words or phrases in the other language so you can interact with other families.
Ask your student about their learning but don’t expect them to use their new language skills at home. Using your primary language at home provides the best model and cognitive development for your child.
Volunteer or get involved in the classroom or the school. Your student will see that you value their education and efforts to become bilingual.
Encourage your student to stay in the program even when it feels challenging. Remember that it takes many years to learn another language, especially as students are still developing their first language.

Can my student enroll in the dual language program after kindergarten?

How long will it take for my student to learn English and Spanish?

Is dual language education effective?

Research shows that dual language education is highly effective! Students who have participated in dual language score above average on English reading tests for both native English-speaking students as well as multilingual learners. They also perform well in other academic content areas.

It is important to remember that these results come from staying in the program for at least six or more years and ideally through high school. Families who choose to be in dual language should make a commitment to keep their student in the program through high school to achieve the full benefits of becoming bilingual and biliterate.

How can Spanish Dual Language students earn the Seal of Biliteracy?

I have two daughters participating in the Dual Language Program at Lake Hills Elementary. My husband and I are native Spanish speakers, however, both English and Spanish are spoken at home. Both of our kids naturally gravitate towards English as their primary language. In an effort to fortify their skills in both languages, we enrolled them both in the Dual Language program.

My oldest child learned to speak Spanish as her first language, but when she began school she was forgetting her Spanish. She was enrolled in the dual language program since Kindergarten and she will be culminating 5^th grade this semester having successfully gone through her full elementary grades as a dual language student. She is as fluent in English as she is in Spanish and she can switch from one language to the other with ease.

My youngest child did not speak any Spanish. Her first language was English and Spanish just did not catch her interest. For her, we chose to enroll her earlier in the dual language program. She started at the Lake Hills Dual Language Preschool. From the start of her schooling, we began to notice her skills improve, and now she is able to switch between both languages.

Both children are motivated and excited about their schooling. As parents, we are very happy and grateful to be part of this program at Bellevue School District!

Bellevue School District Parent