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From https://www.districtadministration.com/article/breaking-school-language-barriers

Breaking school language barriers
Teaching K12 students content in native language shows promise, though translations beyond Spanish can be hard to find
by Deborah Yaffe
April 11, 2017

Despite research showing that native-language instruction improves the achievement of English learners, such localized efforts seem more exception than rule.

Across the country, for reasons both political and practical, even districts with substantial numbers of students who don’t yet know English seldom rely on native-language curricular materials.

…How best to educate students who don’t yet speak English has long been hotly debated.

Should they get instruction exclusively in English to maximize the time spent learning the new language? Or should they get at least some instruction in their native language to ensure they don’t fall behind in other subjects?

For scholars, the debate is largely settled, says Ilana Umansky, an assistant professor in the University of Oregon’s College of Education. Native-language instruction confers a modest but real learning advantage, both in English acquisition and in other subjects, says Umansky, who studies how education policy affects ELLs.

Read the full article at https://www.districtadministration.com/article/breaking-school-language-barriers