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• Bilingualism: functionally literate in two languages,
• Biculturalism: develop appreciation for another culture AND gain a deeper understanding
of own culture,
• Empowerment of Spanish speaking students to develop leadership roles and advocacy skills,(Impact of TWI on Attitudes)
• Equal access to education,
• Raises minority status = raises self esteem,(Center for Adv. Research on Language Acquisition)
• Good preparation for functioning in a GLOBAL society academically, linguistically,
and socially,
• Equal or IMPROVED scores on standardized English achievement tests in comparison to peers
(not in TWI program),
• Increase parent involvement and communication,
• Allows language minority students (Spanish) to learn in their native language first which, according to research, allows these students to attain higher levels of literacy development and academic achievement in English. In contrast, evidence has shown language majority students (English) can maintain grade-level academic achievement in English, despite receiving most of their instruction in a second language, plus they can acquire proficiency in a second language at the same time(CA Dept. of Ed: TWI FAQ),
• Promotes critical thinking, problem solving and cooperative skills.
( Why Bilingual Kids are Smarter, NY Times, 2012)
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