ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates an acceptable transition for our students moving into middle school when our first cohort of students was in grade 3. The committee members visited other middle school programs in our state, contacted secondary educators to learn about their implementation plans, read and discussed articles on secondary dual language programs, and considered options for staffing the middle school program. Additionally, the cognitive benefits of increased problem solving, divergent thinking, memory, and the ability to focus are appealing, and the advantages of being bilingual in the current workforce also add value to the program option. The chapter focuses on incorporating vignettes from Spanish language content classes, study abroad, internships, and the workplace to focus attention on their bilingual skills. The advantages at the elementary level-including positive multicultural attitudes and competencies, cognitive flexibility, and enhanced second language acquisition-turn into marketable assets at the secondary level as students prepare for college and the workplace.
