…."Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things.” – Flora Lewis
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"Aprender otro idioma no es solo aprender diferentes palabras para las mismas cosas, sino también aprender otra forma de pensar sobre las cosas". - Flora Lewis
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Research: Thomas and Collier (1997)
Published by Thomas and Collier on educational programs for ELs in 1997
Purpose: “Which characteristics of well-implemented programs for language minority students result in higher long-term achievement for the most at-risk and high-need students?”
Study of ELs in 5 large school systems during the years 1982-1996
Key Research Findings for EOs
When compared to their monolingual EO peers in Mainstream Programs, EO students…
Scored as high or higher in English Reading and English Mathematics.
Earned higher SAT scores particularly in the verbal section of the test.
By the 5th year in a DLP, outperformed all comparison groups and remained high academic achievers throughout their schooling.
Research Findings
Thomas & Collier’s Study (1997)
Benefits of Dual Language Education
Bilingualism and biliteracy
Appreciation of cultural diversity
Cognitive flexibility
Optional effective educational program model for EL
and EO/FEP studentsBiliteracy Award Recognition
Advanced language courses
Satisfaction of graduation and college
admissions requirementsPreparation to excel in SAT II Korean/Spanish/Mandarin
College credit through Advanced Placement exams
Employment/apprenticeship/internship
Amity Institute
….In partnership with the Friends of Micheltorena (FOM), Micheltorena introduced a wonderful foreign intern program to our school, that places native Spanish speaking Student Teachers in our DLP classrooms. The program started for the 2018-2019 school year with one intern. FOM is now working on placing four Amity interns at our school in the Fall of 2021.
This cultural exchange would assist teachers and provide individual attention to all of our students who are learning Spanish. The program is called Amity and it has already produced incredible results at the other local schools.
Friends of Micheltorena is excited to support this endeavor, which includes covering the costs of the interns, but we are also looking for families and community members who would be willing to host a native Spanish speaker in their home.
Minimum stay is 10 weeks. These are vetted college students, majoring in Education, that would be sponsored with a J1 Visa by the Amity institute.
This is a wonderful opportunity to learn and practice Spanish in your own home, experience a true cultural exchange, and ideally form an everlasting friendship with somebody you can later visit in their home country.
Please contact us if you are interested.
To know about our current interns, click here.
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En asociación con Friends of Micheltorena (FOM), Micheltorena introdujo un maravilloso programa de pasantes extranjeros en nuestra escuela, que ubica a estudiantes de enseñanza nativos de habla hispana en nuestras aulas de DLP. El programa comenzó para el año escolar 2018-2019 con un pasante. FOM ahora está trabajando para colocar cuatro pasantes de Amity en nuestra escuela en el otoño de 2021Este intercambio cultural ayudaría a los maestros y brindaría atención individual a todos nuestros estudiantes que están aprendiendo español. El programa se llama Amity y ya ha producido resultados increíbles en las otras escuelas locales.
Friends of Micheltorena se complace en apoyar este esfuerzo, que incluye cubrir los costos de los pasantes, pero también estamos buscando familias y miembros de la comunidad que estén dispuestos a recibir a un hablante nativo de español en su hogar.
La estadía mínima es de 10 semanas. Estos son estudiantes universitarios investigados, con especialización en educación, que serían patrocinados con una visa J1 por el instituto Amity.
Esta es una oportunidad maravillosa para aprender y practicar español en su propio hogar, experimentar un verdadero intercambio cultural e idealmente formar una amistad eterna con alguien que luego pueda visitar en su país de origen.
Por favor, póngase en contacto con nosotros si está interesado.
Para saber acerca de nuestros pasantes actuales, haga clic aquí.
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Center Top: Alvaro Gomez 2018 - 2019 Intern.
How Can Families Support Spanish at Home?
How Can Families Support Spanish at Home?
We parents are a part of the team of adults supporting our child in school! Here are just four of the ways we can help support our child in learning Spanish:
1. Listen to music in Spanish at home - here are a bunch of options to help you find something YOU like, too, so that you don’t mind playing it multiple days in a row. (Repetition is key!)
Natalia LaFourcade: Musas (Un Homenaje al Folclore Latinoamericano en Manos de Los Macorinos, Vol. 1)
Carlos Vives:
El amor de mi tierra
Las Cafeteras: It’s Time
2. Watch familiar shows and movies in Spanish at home - If you have Netflix, you can explore the settings and see that you can switch the audio to Spanish. (You can even add captions if you want to throw some literacy in there too!)
If there is a movie or show that your child loves, from PJ Masks to InBESTigators, give it a spin in Spanish and ask them to look and listen for clues to help them pick up more and more Spanish! You can also search for shows on Youtube that are dubbed into Spanish, such as Peppa Pig!
3. Explicitly talk about the process of learning new language with your child.
How we talk about language learning in school has a big impact! Some important messages are:
Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed when we don’t understand everything the teacher is saying - that’s normal! It’s like a puzzle. Look for pictures, motions and facial expressions from the teacher to help figure out what she or he is trying to communicate! Take some deep breaths if you feel frustrated.
Mistakes are part of the learning process! We all make plenty of mistakes as we learn more and more of the language we are learning. Go for it, and you will just keep getting better and better! Effort is what counts! Keep going and don’t give up. As an adult, show your own effort in trying to understand and speak in Spanish at whatever level you’re at.
Also, in your household, you can share your own opinions with your child: What do you see as the benefits of learning Spanish? Why was it important to you that your child learn in both English and Spanish?
4. Reinforce the idea that your child will get to show what they know in their last year at Micheltorena with the Pathway to Biliteracy Award:
One thing to know is that all children in the Dual Language Program are working towards the Pathway to Biliteracy Award at the end of their fifth grade year, where they will:
Demonstrate that they can read 10 books at grade level over the course of the year
Write an in-class essay in Spanish on a topic
So if your child says they don’t want to read in Spanish at home, or write in Spanish, you can remind them that every time they are reading in Spanish, or writing in Spanish, they are working towards earning the Pathway to Biliteracy Award!
Pictured below is Emma Hernandez, an alum who earned the Pathway to Biliteracy Award in 2020!
5. Use Duolingo's free app for Spanish in five minutes a day! Kids hear and respond to stories, learn new vocabulary, and gain Spanish paso a paso, adding more and more to their brains every day!
How to register for Micheltorena's Spanish Saturday classes at LACC
