CHRISTOPHER D. VAN BOOVEN - A Case for Adult Two-Way Bilingual Immersion

Oct 15, 2026

Explores two-way bilingual immersion (TWBI) as a potentially viable pedagogy for adult language learners, starting with a literature review of TWBI at the K-6 level and then analyzing key issues in adult second and foreign language education. Discusses implications for designing adult TWBI programs and presents an exploratory study of a Los Angeles community-based adult TWBI program, I HABLO U. Concludes that adult TWBI shares major K-6 challenges while adding distinctive problems and advantages, and calls for expanded research focus on adult learners.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages27

Reading Time1 h 8 min

AccessFree to download

Overview of Two-Way Bilingual Immersion

Two TWBI models at the K-6 level (90:10 vs 50:50)

Basic Goals and Rationale of Two-Way Bilingual Immersion

Cognitive and practical benefits of bilingualism and biliteracy

Bilingualism, biliteracy, and enhanced cognitive functioning

Theoretical advantages for second language acquisition

CHRISTOPHER D. VAN BOOVEN University of Southern California A Case for Adult Two-Way Bilingual Immersion The present study investigates 2-way bilingual immersion (TWBI) as a potentially viable pedagogical model for adult language learners. A review of the literature on TWBI at the K-6 level is provided, followed by an examination of key issues in adult second and foreign language education. Implications for potential adult TWBI programs are discussed along with recommendations for further investigation. Finally, the author presents an exploratory study of a nonformal, community-based adult TWBI program in Los Angeles known as I HABLO U. The results of this study suggest that while adult TWBI shares many of the learner and administrative challenges documented in K-6 TWBI programs, adult learners in TWBI programs contend with a unique set of problems and also enjoy a number of advantages that K-6 learners may not experience. The author concludes that scholars must widen the focus of current research and evaluative efforts of TWBI to consider adult learners. O ver the last two decades, two-way bilingual immersion (TWBI) has enjoyed increased currency as a language-learning model for early K-6 education, with more than 370 confirmed programs in the US alone (Center for Applied Linguistics, 2010; Lindholm-Leary, 2004) . These programs generally involve classrooms in which roughly equal numbers of English-speaking students and speakers ofa second target language (e.g., Spanish, Korean, or Mandarin, etc.) experience instruction in both of the languages throughout the day (Howard, Sugarman, Christian, Lindholm-Leary, & Rogers, 2007). While the approach is growing at the elementary level, adult twoway bilingual programs, by contrast, are comparatively scarce, and studies of adult two-way bilingual programs are all but absent from the literature on dual language education. In the following paper I address this lacuna by exploring the possible benefits of using a two-way bilingual model with adult language learners. To what extent do adult learners in a two-way bilingual learning situation experience advantages similar to those enjoyed by young learners in TWBI programs? What are the potential strengths and challenges ofthis model? To explore the applicability of the two-way bilingual model for adults, I first present a review of pertinent literature, drawing on studies of K-6 TWBI The CATESOL Journal 23.1 • 2011/2012 • 1 programs and research on adult second and foreign language education. Analysis ofthis literature offers important clues concerning the potential for an adult two-way bilingual approach. In the second part of this paper I report on an exploratory study of an adult two-way bilingual program known as “I HABLO U.”This program, which was launched in the spring of 2010 in South-Central Los Angeles by the North Area Neighborhood Development Council (NANDC), provides weekly, cotaught two-way bilingual classes to adult residents of the immediate vicinity who are either native English speakers interested in learning Spanish, or Spanish-speaking learners of English. The results of this study reveal insights both into the challenges and the potential efficacy of adult twoway bilingual programs. I close with a discussion of practical strategies to maximize the benefits and minimize the drawbacks ofthis approach. Overview of Two-Way Bilingual Immersion At the K-6 level, two models ofTWBI have been developed and extensively researched—the 90:10 model and the 50:50 model. For the 90:10 model, during the primary grades initially 90% of instruction is carried out in the partner language, with the remaining 10% conducted in English, and by the upper elementary grades English use is gradually increased to 50%(Howard et al., 2007). By contrast, the 50:50 model allocates equal instruction time in English and the partner language from the outset and for all grades. Basic Goals and Rationale of Two-Way Bilingual Immersi

FAQs

What is the focus of the study on adult two-way bilingual immersion?

The study investigates TWBI as a viable model for adult language learners and examines benefits, strengths, and challenges compared with K-6 contexts.

How is TWBI described at the K-6 level in the paper?

It presents two researched models: the 90:10 model and the 50:50 model, differing in how instruction time is allocated between the partner language and English.

What is the adult TWBI program examined in Los Angeles?

The paper reports an exploratory study of a nonformal, community-based adult TWBI program called “I HABLO U.” It provides weekly co-taught two-way bilingual classes to nearby adult residents.

Oct 15, 2026

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