American Councils Research Center (ARC)

Exploratory study of public Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs in the US

In 2019, in partnership with the American Councils Research Center (ARC), an exploratory study on Arabic Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs in the US was initiated.

It focused on the four public and public charter school programs to better understand student demographics, program structure, teacher feedback, and parental motivations.

This mixed methods study explored the four existing programs at the time of data collection, aiming to understand their characteristics within the broader context of DLI programs in the country. Despite Arabic being the fastest-growing language in the U.S. and the fifth most spoken globally, there has been limited growth in Arabic DLI programs compared to those in other languages, and the concentration of these programs does not align with the distribution of Arabic-speaking populations across the country. At the time of the study, the United States hosts only four Arabic DLI programs in public/charter schools, and the reasons for the limited expansion of such programs differ. The study examines findings derived from surveys and interviews with teachers, parents, and administrators, providing insights into the challenges and opportunities within these programs.

Can Dos for Dual Language Immersion Programs

Read or download the Can Do Statements in English

Read or download the Can Do Statements in Arabic

Read more about the quantitative findings

Qualitative findings can be found in Chapter 9 of this book:

Read the DLI blog

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