Overview

What is French Dual Language Immersion?

*Click on the image above for an introduction to French Dual Language Immersion in the United States.*

Our Mission

At its heart, the Strategic Teaching Framework for French DLI helps immersion teachers reflect on and refine their pedagogical approaches. It also promotes collaboration on a national scale by identifying universal strategies that can be shared across states and regions.

Our Objectives

The framework’s ultimate goal is to provide a comprehensive, practical resource for educators in French Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs across the United States and beyond. By integrating proven strategies and protocols, it aims to enhance planning, observation, and feedback processes, while fostering professional growth and collaboration. Together, we can empower teachers with the tools and support they need to deliver effective and engaging French DLI education.

Purpose and Features

Besides serving as both a planning and observation tool, the framework can also be used as a virtual coaching platform. It supports professional learning with a collection of photos and videos showcasing each teaching strategy in action. These multimedia resources provide practical examples that schools and districts can use for additional guidance and training.

We encourage immersion teachers to incorporate the first six strategies into every lesson on a daily basis. The seventh strategy, Counterbalanced Instruction, is specifically designed to address fossilized grammatical errors in language learners while minimizing cognitive overload during the process. This strategy should be implemented intentionally at key stages within a unit, based on where teachers find it most appropriate and impactful.

References

The competencies presented on this site are informed by research and scholarship in dual language immersion, second language acquisition, literacy, and instructional design. The overall framework draws primarily on the work of Tedick and Lyster (2020) and Lyster’s integrated approach to language and content instruction (2016, 2017). Principles related to comprehensible input are informed by Krashen (1982), while the importance of purposeful language production reflects Swain’s comprehensible output hypothesis (1985). Vocabulary instruction is informed by the research of Nation (2013) and Webb and Nation (2017). The instructional sequence is adapted from the Gradual Release of Responsibility model (Pearson & Gallagher, 1983; Fisher & Frey, 2021). Formative assessment practices draw on the work of Black and Wiliam (1998) and Wiliam (2011). Guidance on cognitive load is adapted from professional learning resources developed by Kelly Matteri (Sonoma County Office of Education). Proficiency targets and performance expectations reference the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines (2024) and Avant Assessment’s STAMP Benchmarks. Additional resources from the Council of Europe, Curriculum Services Canada, the University of Minnesota, the Utah State Board of Education, and other dual language immersion organizations have also informed the development of this framework.

Bibliography

Research and Theoretical Foundations

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment. King’s College London.
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2021). Better Learning Through Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility (3rd ed.). ASCD.
Krashen, S. D. (1982). Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. Pergamon Press.
Nation, I. S. P. (2013). Learning Vocabulary in Another Language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Pearson, P. D., & Gallagher, M. C. (1983). The instruction of reading comprehension. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 8(3), 317–344.
Swain, M. (1985). Communicative competence: Some roles of comprehensible input and comprehensible output in its development. In S. Gass & C. Madden (Eds.), Input in Second Language Acquisition (pp. 235–253). Newbury House.
Tedick, D. J., & Lyster, R. (2020). Scaffolding Language Development in Immersion and Dual Language Classrooms. Routledge.
Tedick, D. J., Christian, D., & Fortune, T. W. (Eds.). (2025). The Routledge Handbook of Dual Language and Immersion Education. Routledge.
Webb, S., & Nation, P. (2017). How Vocabulary Is Learned. Oxford University Press.
Wiliam, D. (2011). Embedded Formative Assessment. Solution Tree Press.

Dual Language Immersion and Content-Based Instruction

Collins-Peynaud, E., & Neu, K. (2023). Sandwiching Grammar and Content in a Language Class.
Fortune, T. W. (2014). Immersion Teaching Strategies Observation Checklist (rev. ed.). Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA), University of Minnesota.
Howard, E. R., & Simpson, S. (2024). Dual Language Tandem Teaching: Coordinating Instruction Across Languages Through Cross-Linguistic Pedagogies. Velázquez Press.
Lyster, R. (2016). Vers une approche intégrée en immersion. Les Éditions CEC & Association canadienne des professionnels de l’immersion (ACPI).
Lyster, R. (2017). Content-Based Language Teaching. Routledge.
Lyster, R. (2017). L’approche intégrée en univers social. McGill University & Commission scolaire Eastern Townships.
Manitoba Education. (2021). La langue au cœur du Programme d’immersion française : Une approche intégrée dans la pédagogie immersive (2nd ed.). Government of Manitoba.
University of Minnesota. (n.d.). Rubric Level Descriptors: DLI Self-Assessment Rubric.
Utah State Board of Education. (2016). DLI Core Instructional Strategies Observation Protocol.

Standards and Professional Frameworks

ACTFL. (2024). ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2024.
Avant Assessment. (n.d.). STAMP Benchmarks and Rubric Guide.
Council of Europe. (2020). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment: Companion Volume.
Curriculum Services Canada. (2014). From Communicative to Action-Oriented: Theory into Practice.
Curriculum Services Canada. (n.d.). Transforming FSL.
Piccardo, E. (2014). From Communicative to Action-Oriented: A Research Pathway.