How to maintain and develop students’ L1

Thomas and Collier’s findings about the value of a well-developed L1 were based on the best practice schools they had been researching, dual immersion schools, where all children’s L1 was developed daily along with their L2. Dual language models, thus, attempt to build L1 in order to also increase L2 academic achievement. Currently, however, few bilingual learners are able to attend such schools. Some bilingual learners are able to maintain, if not continue developing, their L1 through the other bilingual education model, transitional bilingual education. Their L1 development will be minimal, however, especially after they transition into the mainstream program.

Aside from participating in bilingual education, bilingual learners may receive L1 education in several other ways. Attending school in the home country, where the

language of instruction is the L1, is an obvious way to receive grade-level schooling in the L1. Unfortunately, the grade-level L1 schooling comes to an abrupt halt when the family immigrates, which can happen at any point in a student’s education. An additional problem with this way of obtaining grade-level L1 education is that the home country schools probably are not dual language immersion schools. The L2 (in this case, English) is, at best, a foreign language class that takes place for one hour a day.¹⁰ As a result, although newly arrived immigrant students will have obtained grade-level education in their L1, their English may be undeveloped or non-existent. Another way for students to receive home country L1 education occurs when parents send their children back to the home country for a year or two. Unless the home country schools the children attend, however, provide dual language education, the children’s English will suffer. In addition, without coordinated effort on the part of their families and their schools, children are likely to suffer academically from the disruptions of their academic programs.

Another way to receive schooling in the L1 is to take heritage language classes in the US. However, in elementary and secondary schools, this option is available to only a small percentage of the nation’s bilingual learners; in the early 2000s, only seven percent of US secondary schools offered heritage language courses (Brecht & Ingold, 2002). In addition, attending a heritage language class one hour a day will not offer the same advantages as a dual language immersion program. Still, using Thomas and Collier’s statement about the value of formal schooling in the L1 as a baseline, an hour a day in a

10 A percentage of newcomers who enter our nation’s schools have attended schools with dual immersion or dual immersion-like programs, but they are the exception, not the rule.

heritage language class, especially over a number of years, is certainly better than no schooling in the L1.

Bilingual learners may receive “schooling” in their L1s through private

organizations. In her study of immigrant children and academic achievement in England, Wright (1992) briefly examines the L1 education programs provided by extracurricular programs, religious institutions, and volunteer organizations. She points out that, unlike heritage language classes offered for academic credit, these classes have no quality control standards. The teachers may not be trained in heritage language education; in fact, they may not even be trained as teachers. Also, in general, there are no attendance

restrictions for these classes, which may affect how thoroughly the instructors are able to teach the language. When a religious institution offers the classes, the L1 may be a classical version of the language rather than the version spoken by the students and their families. Wright surveyed her participants who attended such classes, asking for their impressions. The responses ranged from “very useful” and “fun” to “time-wasting” and

“propaganda” (p. 138). Wright concludes that it is unlikely that a child attending such classes will develop the kinds of skills that will allow her to do L1 academic work at her grade level.

A final method for developing L1 literacy skills outside of school is self-teaching—with or without the support of concerned family members. Clearly,

independent language learning requires concerted and well-informed action on the part of parents and the student. Given the economic situation of many bilingual learners’

families, parents’ time and energy are not available for this kind of endeavor. In addition, while some of the family’s economic status may be due simply to the parents’ inability to

speak English, many immigrant parents must work at low-paying jobs because they have not received much education themselves, making it even more unlikely that they can conduct the L1 education of their children. As for a student conducting her own L1 education, this endeavor cannot begin until she is old enough to make the decision to study. She will also need to access resources consciously—even if they are only the adults around her—for her instruction. In short, because of the conscious and concerted effort required for self teaching, it is unlikely that active, busy parents or young people will be able to teach or learn the L1 to levels equivalent to Thomas and Collier’s “grade-level schooling in the L1.”

2.3.5 The gap in studies relating L1 knowledge to academic achievement for