Utah Dual Language Immersion programs use a fifty-fifty model. Students spend half of their school day using only Spanish, and the other half-day in English. Often, students will have two teachers, one who instructs only in Spanish for half of the day and a second who teaches in English for the remainder of the day.

From first through third grade, the target language curriculum includes literacy study and the majority of the content subjects (math, science, and social studies). The English curriculum focuses on English language arts and some collaborative reinforcement of the content. Teacher teamwork is essential!

The curriculum shifts in the fourth and fifth grades, as most conceptual instruction in math and social science is taught in English. Practical application of these subjects remains in the target language. In the sixth grade, social science shifts back to the target language and science shifts to English instruction. These curriculum changes in the upper grades purposefully allow for more instruction time in the target language, focusing on literacy study and increasing student proficiencies. Specific proficiency goals for every Dual Language Immersion language are set at each grade level in all areas: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Click on the images below to see how dual immersion instruction works in grades K-6.

                    K-3                                                             Grades 4 and 5                                                             Grade 6

In middle school, students continue with a Spanish DLI course each year. The DLI courses continue to focus on language development  while exploring culture, history, and media from other Spanish-speaking countries. Students have opportunities to speak and interact with heritage speakers of Spanish and participate in a variety of enrichment activities to support their learning.

In high school, students begin with the Spanish DLI 5 course in grade 9. At the end of the year, students take the AP Spanish test.

If they pass the AP test, they earn the equivalent of 3 college credits and in grade 10, they begin in the 3000-level Bridge courses. These courses are taught in conjunction with our university partners; a faculty member meets with the high school teacher to plan weekly, and they co-teach one day a week. This ensures that the Bridge classes are operating on a college level.

If students don’t pass the AP test at the end of grade 9, they take AP Spanish in grade 10 and then two years of Bridge courses. They still graduate with nine units of college credit!

Participating in a Dual Language Immersion program offers many benefits:
 

1. Second Language Skills: Students achieve high proficiency in Spanish. This is assessed using the ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL). Parents will receive information about their student’s progress towards proficiency.
2. Performance on Standardized Tests: Immersion students perform as well as or better than non-immersion students on standardized tests in English.
3. Cognitive Skills: Immersion students typically develop greater cognitive flexibility, demonstrating increased attention control, better memory, and superior problem-solving skills as well as an enhanced understanding of their primary language.
4. Cultural Awareness - Students gain a better understanding of different cultures and develop a more positive attitude toward people from diverse backgrounds.
5. Long Term Benefits: Immersion students are better prepared for the global community and job markets where 21st century skills, like being multilingual, are an asset.

Salt Lake City School District offers Spanish Dual Language Immersion programs in the following schools:
 

• Mountain View Elementary School        
• Newman Elementary School                          
• Nibley Park School                                                 
• Clayton Middle School 
• Glendale Middle School 
• SLCSE-Bryant Middle School
•  East High School
• West High School

Usual enrollment patterns

Students in the Mountain View Elementary program will move to DLI programs at Glendale Middle and then East High.

Students at Newman Elementary move to Bryant Middle and then to East or West High.

Students in the Nibley Park K-6 Neighborhood program that started in 2024-25 will attend Hillside Middle beginning in the 2029-30 school year. In 2031-32, they will attend Highland High.

Students who moved from Emerson Elementary in the ELP/DLI program will attend either Clayton or West for middle school and can attend either East or West High. The courses at West may be different; please talk to your student’s counselor as they enroll at West.

While these are the usual enrollment patterns, students can apply for the program that best meets the needs of their family.

What happens when a DLI class is very small in middle or high school?

If a rising class is very small (usually that means fewer than 24 students, a school may combine two classes in one period. This might be a DLI class and Spanish for Native Speakers class, or DLI and a high-level or advanced Spanish class. If this happens, the teacher will plan to leverage the strengths of each group of students while supporting specific learning needs. For instance, a combined DLI and Spanish for Native Speakers group would have DLI students with strong reading and writing skills to collaborate with students who can support their speaking and listening fluencys.

If your neighborhood school offers a Dual Language Immersion program, contact the main office to express your interest in enrolling.

If you would like your student to attend a Dual Language Immersion program at a school outside your neighborhood, you must apply through the Open Enrollment process.

Entering the program
 

• Students in grades K-2 can apply by indicating their interest to the school. They do not have to have already speak Spanish. There are no restrictions or requirements for students who want to begin in a Spanish DLI program.
• Beginning in grade 3, students must have grade-appropriate Spanish language fluency to enter the program, as no English is used in the Spanish portion of the day. All students must take a language proficiency test to demonstrate their level of Spanish fluency.

Please reach out to the principal of the school. They will be happy to talk to you about the program and the advantages it brings to students. They can also provide more information about registration, transferring to the next school, or dates for school tours.

The immersion program is NOT a gifted program, although it certainly serves the needs of a gifted learner. The immersion program is open to any interested incoming kindergarten student and prescreening is not part of the application process.

Homework should be skills that were taught in class, and your student should be able to complete the work independently. Encourage your student by following up with homework, class work, and providing time and materials for the work.
 

• Ask questions about the homework so your student explains the assignments in the language you use at home.
• Check the backpack each day. Watch for newsletters or other ways the teacher communicates with parents.
• Provide a quiet space and ample time to do homework. When possible, provide dictionaries in both languages.
• Set up “homework buddies” for the subjects taught in the target language. If several students are confused, communicate with the teacher.

All our immersion teachers hold a Utah teaching license. They come from a variety of backgrounds. Most have been educated in our local universities and have graduated with an Elementary Education or language degree. Others are International Guest Teachers from foreign countries. These teachers have been hand-selected by their respective governments to come to Utah to teach in our schools. They represent the “best and brightest” these countries have to offer. All of our guest teachers are screened through a rigorous process by the Utah State Board of Education in order to ascertain their aptness to teach in our schools. If necessary, our guest teachers take university and state-sponsored classes to complete their course work in Elementary Education.