Curriculum bridging across Chinese and English instructional times in a one-way dual language education program

ABSTRACT

In response to the limitations presented by restrictive language separation practices in dual language immersion programs, this study describes a curriculum bridging approach that was undertaken by a group of teachers in a one-way Chinese English Dual Language Education program to promote and build on students’ full linguistic repertoires. The present study was conducted in a public charter school where students were mostly English dominant. Focusing on language allocation decisions at different levels, we examine how teachers bridged instruction for continuity and reinforcement of students’ content and language learning across Chinese and English instructional times. The findings also reveal challenges teachers faced in the planning and implementation processes of curriculum bridging, which unearthed varying teacher assumptions about specific subject matters and pedagogical strategies. Implications for further research and suggestions for practice to more effectively utilize and build on students’ full linguistic repertoires are provided.

Acknowledgments

Our sincere gratitude goes to the principal, the teachers, the participant students and their parents who welcomed the first author into the classroom and made this research project possible. We would also like to extend our thanks to the Editors and the four anonymous reviewers for their invaluable feedback and suggestions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).