Problematizing the "Dual" in a dual-immersion program: A portrait

The purpose of this study was to provide a critical look at the issues pertaining to language variety and language use in a unique dual-immersion program. In order to reveal multiple perspectives, the data collected and analyzed included systematic participant observations in K-8th classrooms for over a year, formal interviews with program teachers, and conversations with parents and students. This portrait clearly communicates that while participants seemingly share a common language, complex sociocultural and historical tensions not only inform day-to-day classroom interactions but even dictate the legitimate language of instruction. This study underscores the social and political complexities that are often uncritically taken for granted, even in multicultural and multilingual educational environments.