The Impact of Increased Spanish Instruction

Abstract

Increased amounts of Spanish instruction for English Language Learners who are trying to successfully read and comprehend text in English tend to be an effective and meaningful avenue for language acquisition. This study focused on three Spanish dominant students that received higher amounts of Spanish instruction to determine whether or not it would help them read better in English. The current study examined the impact of bilingual instruction for English Language Learners, and whether or not it allowed them to transfer over the necessary skills to read in English with more fluency and accuracy. Results of this study suggest that more time spent learning in a child’s native language does allow students to make more progress in the target language. Implications of this research study are discussed.