Your first grade class is very diverse, and many of the children are learning English. Their families have immigrated from Mexico, Guatemala, South Korea, and Pakistan. Your dual-language approach has proven very successful for all of your young learners, and the newest child, Yosung, appears to be thriving. However, Yosung’s mother, Song Mi, has requested that Yosung speak and learn only English at school. She has heard that full immersion programs are more beneficial for children learning English. Song Mi, is concerned with her child’s assimilation into the United States, fears his speaking Korean will be detrimental to his ability to “fit in.” This is particularly concerning to her as she has struggled in her own mastery of the English language, and feels that she has experienced bias because of these challenges. You set up a meeting to speak with Song Mi.
Using a strengths-based approach, address Song Mi’s concerns about her son’s language development by describing at least two benefits of dual language development for young children.