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The California Department of Education's page on Multilingual Education highlights programs supporting English learners and promoting multilingualism. It emphasizes the benefits of bilingualism for academic achievement and global competitiveness. The page outlines resources for districts, instructional models, and compliance guidelines to enhance language education. It also supports the Seal of Biliteracy and multilingual initiatives.

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La Educación Multilingüe (español)
Overview of Multilingual Programs

Multilingual programs prepare students for linguistic and academic proficiency in English and additional languages, and require thoughtful design. Multilingual programs are based on research that demonstrates the program model's effectiveness at leading students toward linguistic fluency and academic achievement in more than one language.

The California Department of Education (CDE) mission is to equip students with world language skills to better appreciate and more fully engage with the diverse mixture of cultures, heritages, and languages found in California and the world, while also preparing them to succeed in the global economy. The CDE has set specific goals in the Global California 2030 Report (PDF) . By 2030, half of all kindergarten through grade twelve students will participate in programs leading to proficiency in two or more languages, either through a class, a program, or an experience. By 2040, three out of four students will be proficient in one or more languages, earning them a State Seal of Biliteracy.

What are the Benefits of Multilingualism?

According to the U.S. Department of Education, multilingualism provides educational, cognitive, sociocultural, and economic benefits for those students who attain fluency in more than one language.

Cognitive Benefits

Educational Benefits

Sociocultural Benefits

Economic Benefits

Increased executive function:

Attentional Control

Task switching (mental flexibility)

May delay the onset of age-related cognitive decline and the onset of illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease

Increased intellectual flexibility

Comparable or higher achievement of students in dual language programs as compared to students in English-only programs

Improved learning outcomes in various subjects

Associated with increased high school graduation rates among children of immigrants

Leads to increased levels of creativity

Promotes higher levels of abstract thought and reasoning

Engenders enhanced metalinguistic awareness to support the learning of languages in the future

Greater understanding of other world cultures

Increased empathy development

Enhanced connection to heritage cultures

Promotes global awareness, reduced discrimination, improved self-esteem, and stronger cross-group relationships

Greater job opportunities in multiple public and private sectors

Greater business opportunities

Raises occupational status and earning potential

Language skills are in high demand for employment with the Federal Government

Table is adapted from the U.S. Department of Education Office of English Language Acquisition Benefits of Multilingualism Infographic, 2020

The report is available on the following websites: American Institutes for Research and WestEd .

Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL)
CAL provides research-based language and cultural education resources, including a national directory of Two-Way and Dual-Language Immersion programs. Visit the Two-way Immersion website for information and downloadable resources from the Two-Way Immersion Outreach Project.

U.S. Department of Education OELA
OELA provides data, resources, and technical assistance for English learner instruction, including the English Learner Tool Kit and Newcomer Tool Kit.

Questions: Language Policy and Leadership Office | 916-319-0845

Last Reviewed: Tuesday, June 18, 2024

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The resources on this web page offer information on the development, implementation, and location of multilingual programs.

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The CalMatters article discusses California's struggle to rebuild bilingual education after nearly 20 years of an English-only policy. Although bilingual education was reinstated in 2016, challenges like a shortage of trained bilingual teachers and limited funding have slowed progress. Texas, by contrast, has been more successful in enrolling English learners in bilingual programs. The article highlights the need for more investment and support to fully restore bilingual education in California.

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‘We were punished for speaking Spanish’: Inside California’s slow recovery of bilingual education

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After banning bilingual education in 1998, California voters brought it back 8 years ago. Schools are still trying to rebuild their programs.

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The article from the Civil Rights Project at UCLA argues for making bilingual education the standard for English learners (ELs) in the U.S., citing strong evidence of academic, cognitive, and social benefits. It emphasizes the need for supportive federal, state, and local policies to expand access, invest in multilingual educators, and address challenges like funding and program quality. The goal is to create equitable educational opportunities for ELs.

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Executive Summary

As the U.S. looks towards a twenty-five-year vision for education and social policy, a critical goal is strengthening educational services and supports for students classified as English learners (EL). EL-classified students are a protected class of students building their bi- or multilingualism while receiving services to support their access to the general curriculum and English language development. EL-classified students bring expansive assets to their educational experiences yet enroll in schools that often do not provide full, equitable access to core content, nor the opportunity to develop bilingualism and biliteracy. Given strong evidence on the benefits of bilingual education, as well as a commitment to education policymaking that addresses barriers to opportunity experienced by EL-classified students and values students' assets, this paper makes the case that now is the opportune moment to being laying the policy foundation towards bilingual education as the standard service for EL-classified students, rather than the exception.

The call for more expansive access to bilingual education is grounded in a comprehensive synthesis of evidence on the benefits of bilingual education, bilingualism, and biliteracy for students and the larger social fabric. Many studies find that access to bilingual education programs has a medium to large positive impact on students' academic achievement, while also supporting a higher likelihood of being reclassified out of EL status to fluent English proficient. Importantly, the benefits of bilingual education and bilingualism go beyond academic and English language outcomes, with benefits for students' home language development, cognitive functioning, social-emotional and sociocultural outcomes, and students' future employment and earnings.

Our argument for bilingual education as the standard service for EL-classified students is also built on a recognition that the current policy and educational climate can support more expansive access to bilingual education. States are reversing restrictive language policies towards policies that allow and support bilingual education, while communities, districts, and schools across the country are engaging in grassroots bilingual program development and expansion. As interest in bilingual education across audiences grows, the resources and knowledge available to support implementation has grown in parallel. There is a heightened awareness that bilingual programs can be compromised if they are implemented in ways that do not center the experiences of linguistically diverse and immigrant families, with critical guidance for implementing programs that do. There are also more expansive options for curricula, professional learning, and assessments that support bilingual, biliterate instruction. The policy agenda of today can build from this momentum, looking towards a future where bilingual education is the standard service for EL-classified students, when feasible.

In recognition of the challenges that stand between the current landscape of services for EL-classified students and more expansive bilingual education services, this piece also outlines incremental federal, state, and local policy actions to build towards bilingual education as the standard for EL-classified students, as well as critical considerations to support the policy goal. The federal government has the opportunity to invest in supporting and sustaining a multilingual educator workforce, as well as provide guidance on designing, implementing, and sustaining high-quality bilingual education programs focused on fully developing bilingualism and biliteracy while also providing resources to do so. State governments can also play a critical role in supporting multilingual educators, as well as supporting local education agencies in building strong, locally responsive bilingual education programs. Local education agencies can partner with other agencies to support multilingual educators on their pathway to teaching, as well as invest in developing programs that center linguistically diverse students and families in their community. Throughout, current policy examples and opportunities for replication, adaptation, and expansion are described.

We also outline key considerations for the implementation of bilingual education as the standard service for EL-classified students, recognizing that such a policy will come with complex negotiations between what can be, and what is. We outline how the policy can balance local flexibility to adapt programs to community assets with strong enough policy parameters to ensure students are provided with high-quality programs, while also recognizing that full bilingual, biliterate programs may not be feasible in all contexts. We outline challenges in sustaining bilingual programs through secondary school and ensuring sufficient resources are provided to sustain all bilingual programs. We raise critical issues around segregation of students, accountability, and a U.S. climate in which issues of language and immigration are heavily charged. For all considerations, we offer evidence, policy examples, and guideposts for navigating the implementation of more expansive bilingual education with these considerations in mind.

As EL-classified students continue to experience barriers to opportunity, the need to improve services and supports for EL-classified students becomes increasingly urgent. Despite a history characterized by swings towards and away from more expansive bilingual education, a federal policy that positions bilingual education as the standard service for EL-classified students when possible is a viable goal as we look twenty-five years into the future-if federal, state, and local policy begin taking steps towards this goal in the immediate.

This report is part of a series of research papers, A Civil Rights Agenda for the Next Quarter Century, commissioned and published by the Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles and commemorating its 25th anniversary.

This report can also be found here on eScholarship.

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Bilingual Education and America's Future: Evidence and Pathways

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This paper looks at the next 25 years of education and policy making regarding students classified as English learners (EL). Given the strong research evidence on the benefits of bilingual education and need to address barriers to opportunity experienced by English learners, this paper strengthens the case for federal, state and local education policy and action that looks toward the implementation of bilingual education as the standard service--rather than exception--for EL-classified students.

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The article on WOHUM discusses the pros and cons of bilingual education for children. Benefits include cognitive advantages like improved problem-solving and multitasking, enhanced cultural awareness, and better academic performance. Challenges involve risks of language confusion, temporary academic lag, limited resources, and societal prejudice against bilingualism. The piece emphasizes the importance of adequate support for maximizing the benefits of bilingual education.

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Pros and Cons of Bilingual Education: Bilingualism in Children

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Discover cognitive boosts, cultural awareness, and academic success. Navigate challenges for a well-rounded education. Elevate your child’s potential.

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The IDRA article outlines effective bilingual education programs, emphasizing a clear vision, strong leadership, and active support from central administration. Successful programs align with campus goals, foster community involvement, and treat bilingualism as an asset. Effective implementation requires well-articulated program components and a focus on instructional quality for all students.

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Effective Implementation of Bilingual Programs: Reflections from the Field - IDRA

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• by Abelardo Villarreal, Ph.D. and Adela Solís, Ph.D. • IDRA Newsletter • January 1998 • Good bilingual programs upgrade the quality ... read more

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This article talks about the Bilingual Education Act (1968) that was the first U.S. legislation to provide federal funding for educational programs for students with limited English proficiency. It aimed to address the needs of non-English-speaking students, particularly Spanish speakers, by supporting bilingual education programs. The Act acknowledged the challenges faced by these students and was part of broader efforts toward equal educational opportunities following the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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Bilingual Education Act (BEA), U.S. legislation (January 2, 1968) that provided federal grants to school districts for the purpose of establishing educational programs for children with limited English-speaking ability. It was the first time that the U.S. government officially acknowledged that these students need specialized instruction. The Bilingual Education Act (BEA) was an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

Beginning in the late 19th century, millions of immigrants entered the United States, and many could not speak English. Some state governments pushed for assimilation, requiring non-English-speaking adults to take English-language classes. Children went to public schools, where they were totally immersed in the English language and often punished for speaking their native language. California and Texas established segregated public schools to accommodate the increase in Spanish-speaking children from Mexico. These schools concentrated on teaching English, but they had less funding than the schools for white non-Latino children and thus had inferior resources and underqualified teachers. Under these conditions many immigrant children dropped out or received an education that limited job opportunities.

In the ensuing years there were sporadic efforts to end school segregation, and these intensified in 1946 after a federal court ruled in that the segregation of Mexican American students in California schools was unlawful. More lawsuits followed, culminating in the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case, in which the U.S. Supreme Court found that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional. This decision helped guide future educational policies toward equal opportunity. The civil rights movement and passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964-intending to end discrimination based on race, colour, religion, or national origin-also furthered equality in education.

Despite these developments, language difficulties continued to hamper the education of many Spanish-speaking students. In 1967 U.S. Sen. Ralph Yarborough of Texas introduced a bill to help school districts educate students with limited English-speaking ability. This was a particularly important issue in Texas and other southwestern states, which were experiencing an increase in Mexican immigration. The bill recommended bilingual education-including Spanish and other native languages-and funding was designated for developing programs, training staff, and obtaining educational resources. In 1968 U.S. Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson signed the BEA into law.

Over the years, the BEA underwent various revisions to meet the needs of students, parents, and teachers. For example, when first conceived, the act favoured school districts with high percentages of students from low-income families. Funding was later broadened to include students from a wider range of economic groups. The grants were also expanded to include more options for their use, such as for technical assistance and for the establishment of special training programs.

In January 2002 U.S. Pres. George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. It sought to improve public primary and secondary schools and, thus, student performance via increased accountability for schools, school districts, and states. For example, states were required to administer yearly tests in reading and mathematics to public school students and to demonstrate adequate progress toward raising the scores of all students. (In 2015 U.S. Pres. Barack Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act, which modified NCLB.) Under NCLB the BEA became the English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act.

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Bilingual Education Act | Definition, 1968, Summary, & Facts

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Bilingual Education Act, U.S. legislation (1968) that offered federal grants to school districts for the purpose of creating educational programs for students with limited English-speaking ability. It was the first time that the U.S. government officially acknowledged that such students need specialized instruction.