Dual Language Immersion Programs in the US and Applications in Vietnam
- Eduling
- Apr 20
- 4 min read
Episode Summary
In this episode, Dr. Linh Phung (CEO of Eduling) hosts a discussion with Hong Dinh, a teacher in the Gwinnett County Public Schools in Georgia, and Giang Linh, an educational expert from Vietnam. The conversation focuses on the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs within the U.S. public school system and examines how similar multilingual education models might be applied in Vietnam.
The full episode in Vietnamese
DLI and Its Applications
The Concept of DLI: Hong Dinh explains that DLI (Dual Language Immersion) is an integrated model where a second language is used alongside English to teach core academic subjects. In her district, common languages include Spanish, French, and Korean.
Target Audience: While primarily serving immigrant students (English Learners) to help maintain their native language while developing English, the programs also attract native English speakers whose parents want them to achieve global competence and bilingualism.
Application in Vietnam: The guests discuss the Vietnamese government’s goal of making English a "second language" in schools by 2035–2045. They note that while private schools in Vietnam are already implementing bilingual and trilingual (Vietnamese-English-Chinese) models, public schools face significant challenges due to large class sizes (50-60 students) and a wide disparity in students' initial language proficiency.
Resource Disparity: Giang Linh emphasizes that the current "bottom-up" approach, driven by private school initiatives and parent investment, risks widening the gap between private and public education, leading to an unfair educational landscape.
A Key Challenge
Hong Dinh explains that a key challenge of dual language immersion (DLI) programs is supporting students who enter with limited proficiency in both the instructional language and their own home language. Some students may only speak their home language orally but lack basic literacy skills, while also not knowing English. This creates significant difficulty for teachers who must deliver academic content in a target language the student does not yet understand. As a result, closing academic gaps and helping these students keep pace with grade-level content requires intensive support.
Contextual Differences between the U.S. DLI and Vietnam’s Bilingual/Trilingual Programs
Giang Linh highlights a major contextual difference between bilingual/trilingual education in Vietnam and Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs in the U.S.
In the U.S., DLI is typically implemented in public school systems, serving a broad and diverse student population. In contrast, in Vietnam, bilingual and especially trilingual (Vietnamese–English–Chinese) programs are exclusively offered in elite private schools. These schools serve students from more advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, can selectively admit students, and have stronger resources, including more staff and academic support systems.
Additionally, Vietnamese private schools have introduced trilingual programs in response to growing demand for English as a global language and Chinese as a language of a key economic partner. However, because public schools and universities in Vietnam generally do not support such models, access remains limited.
As a result, the challenges seen in U.S. DLI programs, such as supporting students with limited language proficiency or academic gaps, are less pronounced in Vietnam’s private school context, where students are better prepared and more heavily supported.
Benefits of Trilingual Vietnamese-English-Chinese Programs in Vietnam
Giang Linh points out a common issue in bilingual education where English tends to dominate and Vietnamese is neglected. By integrating Chinese alongside English, the program actually increases the use of Vietnamese in instruction, as it is easier to pair Vietnamese teachers with both English and Chinese teachers. This structure helps reinforce students’ native language while they learn additional languages.
Moreover, because Vietnamese and Chinese share certain linguistic features, learning Chinese can support Vietnamese language thinking rather than replace it. Overall, the trilingual model promotes stronger preservation of students’ cultural and linguistic foundations while developing more flexible and balanced multilingual skills.
Strengthening the Mother Tongue
Hong Dinh emphasizes that for immigrant students in U.S. schools, maintaining and developing their mother tongue is extremely important. Strengthening the home language helps build a solid foundation of background knowledge, which supports learning any additional language whether English or others.
She encourages families to continue using and nurturing their native language at home, as this not only supports academic development but also helps students integrate more effectively in a multicultural, multilingual environment while preserving their cultural identity.
The Need for Educational Equity
The speakers close the episode by expressing some hopes for change.
Giang Linh highlights the critical need for state-level support to ensure fair access to language education in Vietnam:
"That is the case for private schools regarding the application of trilingualism. As for public schools, frankly speaking, I really hope for major policies from the government and the state. This is because the support resources from the state are incredibly massive; it wouldn't be just small, scattered efforts. What's important is that it brings a fairer education for everyone. If we leave it to spontaneous private sector growth and allow the private school block to lead the way like this, it will increasingly increase the imbalance in education. When the inequality of education becomes larger, it is not a good thing for a healthy society."
Language as a Right
Dr. Linh Phung adds context regarding the rights of immigrant students to maintain their heritage:
"Regarding the issue of the mother tongue, one of the reasons for bilingual programs in the US is to ensure that students have the right to learn in their own mother tongue as well. Many immigrants come to the US with many different native languages, but when they enter public schools, they often lose their own language. This is also about what we call the right to learn in one's mother tongue."
On the Implementation of DLI (Hong Dinh)
"I really hope that sharing the ways we implement education in the U.S. regarding foreign language instruction will help the process in Vietnam as it works to promote and improve the effectiveness of English teaching in schools."
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