ABSTRACT

The United States (US) public schools have dramatically changed in terms of student diversity. Further, the Office of English Language Acquisition reports that with the increase of a diverse student population, language diversity has also expanded in K-12 schools. In teacher education, new research methodologies and instructional practices have been documented to illuminate distinct ways of advancing the social and language practices of English learners and emergent bilinguals. Originally developed for specific groups, dual language education (DLE) programs are implemented in multiple settings and enroll students with diverse language profiles. Findings associated with DLE students affirm that language fluidity, translanguaging, and language creativity are shaping students’ ways of communicating and building relationships. Research studies associated with dual language learner in the past decade have documented the rise of DLE teacher preparation in teacher education programs and in K-12 school districts. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.