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World Language study benefits all students and leads to:

  • higher scores on standardized tests,
  • greater cognitive development in the areas of mental flexibility, creativity, divergent thinking, and higher-order thinking skills,
  • a broader English vocabulary,
  • a better understanding of one's own language and culture, and
  • enhanced career opportunities.

 

Impact of World Language Study

The documents below describe the impact of language study and outline the current information for North Carolina's K-12 World Language programs. Please download the materials you need.

Benefits of Multilingualism - Infographic from the US Department of Education's Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) with details about how being multilingual, multiliterate, and multicultural in today's global society has cognitive, economic, educational, and sociocultural benefits. Knowing more than one language from birth, acquiring new language(s) through school, or learning languages later in life can provide tangible advantages in many areas.
This infographic is also available in Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Language Diversity in North Carolina - This is the most recent Language Diversity brief with an overview of the languages other than English that are used in homes across the state. There are also details about how our schools support language development.

Thomas & Collier Research in North Carolina - The Thomas and Collier  dual language/immersion (DL/I) longitudinal studies were done in North Carolina by professors emeritus at George Mason University, Dr. Virginia Collier and Dr. Wayne Thomas. This research documents how being in a DL/I program benefits all students and how this can close the achievement gap. Please download the executive summaries, full reports, and/or the excerpt from Chapter 5 in Dual Language Education for a Transformed World "Astounding Effectiveness - The North Carolina Story" or the published graphs from the NC study.

World Language Study in North Carolina

  • World Languages in North Carolina - This is the most recent summary of K-12 World Language study, including an enrollment snapshot of the 18 languages taught in our schools, an overview of the Global Languages Endorsement (GLE) earners who have been recognized with our state's Seal of Biliteracy, and a summary of our dual language/immersion (DL/I) programs.
  • Language Enrollment & Advocacy Data (LEAD) for North Carolina - The LEAD documents are an extension of the World Languages in North Carolina document above and focus on one language. For each language, enrollment data over 5-10 years is available, along with details about student engagement with different types of courses and program resources. LEAD documents are currently available for American Sign Language (ASL), Arabic & Hebrew, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. Please download the document(s) you're interested in by clicking on the link above.

 

Statewide Directories

K-12 World Language Coordinators

If you have questions about your local public school's policies and programs, please contact the World Language coordinator(s) via email or phone for your public school unit (PSU) using the spreadsheets linked below:

DL/I Program Directory

If you have questions about a dual language/immersion (DL/I) program in North Carolina, please contact the DL/I administrator(s) for the Public School Unit (PSU) in the NC DL/I Program Directory or this resource to explore the DL/I programs across the state. Details posted include contact information for administrators and principals, DL/I program website for the PSU, school name, DL/I language, type of immersion, program model, year of launch, school website, etc.

The NC DL/I Program Directory is updated by the NCDPI DL/I Team on an ongoing basis and is available in two formats:

 

Listservs for World Languages

Announcements, newsletters, professional development offerings, and other updates are shared on the World Language listservs below. Please go to the NCDPI Email Updates page to add your email address to these listservs and others:

  • Dual Language/Immersion (DL/I) Educators
  • NC LinguaFolio
  • World Language Instructors for K-20
  • World Language Education News