Mesquite Independent School District is committed to providing a bilingual program for the purpose of teaching English to limited-English students and to assisting them in learning to function effectively in an all-English school environment.

Bilingual education is a full-time program of dual language instruction that provides for learning basic skills in the primary language of the students and provides a carefully structured and sequenced mastery of English language skills.

What are the benefits of being bilingual?

Intellectual. People who are bilingual have more mental flexibility. This is significant in that as learning abilities increase, students can use these abilities to improve comprehension and solve problems in math or linguistics.

Educational. Research has also shown that students who continue to develop their native language do learn English and score higher academically than those who sacrifice their native
language.

Personal. Developing the student’s native language helps him find his personal identity. The student then values his culture and heritage, and this contributes to having a positive self-image and high self-esteem.

Social. The doors of communication with family and community are open when the native language is maintained. By promoting the student’s native language, we prepare him to take his role in the community and the rest of the world.

Economy. Today’s world demands a work force that is bilingual. By receiving an education in more than one language, students are given an advantage while competing in the world’s work market.

Questions

What is the dual language program?
The dual language program is a bilingual academic program where students learn in both English and Spanish. It utilizes the students’ native language for academic instruction 50 percent of the time and English for 50 percent of the time. Students in this program are native Spanish speakers and receive the same curriculum as the general education program, through enrichment methods and strategies.

What are the bilingual program goals?
The bilingual program’s four main goals are:

• To increase student’s proficiency in Spanish
• To acquire listening, speaking, reading and writing
  skills in English
• To develop high self-esteem
• To appreciate cultural diversity

What is the difference between speaking skills and reading and writing skills?
The student’s daily oral face-to-face communication for personal and social purposes is known as Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills, or BICS. It takes two years exposure to English in order to develop a relatively high degree of English communicative skills. The level of English proficiency needed for academic learning (reading and writing) is referred to as Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency, or CALP. CALP takes from five to seven years to develop.

Who participates in the program?
Participants are students in grades PK-6 who are limited English proficient, score below the 40th
percentile on an English norm-reference test, and whose native language is Spanish.

How are these students identified?
Students are identified by the Home Language Survey. If the Home Language Survey indicates a
home language other than English, students are assessed with an oral language proficiency test and an English norm-referenced test. Assessment results determine the program placement of the student based on criteria set by the state.

What do I do if my child’s home campus does not provide bilingual instruction?
We are committed to providing a program that will meet the needs of your child; therefore, we are happy to provide transportation to our bilingual campuses for those students who need it.

How can our bilingual program be so successful?
Bilingual education will continue to be successful with parental and community approval and support. Parental participation enhances the quality of our program and ensures proper implementation. With your participation, this program will continue to succeed.