Equity for Students Learning English in Dual Language Bilingual Education: Persistent Challenges and Promising Practices

This special issue of TESOL Quarterly examines the equity challenges and promises of dual language bilingual education (DLBE) for students learning English as an additional language. As demographic change and transnational connections develop more awareness and desire for multilingualism, there has been an explosion of DLBE in schools throughout the world. Although research confirms the effectiveness of well‐implemented dual language programs, studies also find persistent and pervasive inequalities, which are explored in this issue. On the one hand, there is a global push toward English as a lingua franca that denies education in students’ native languages; on the other hand, there is not equal access or opportunity to English as a global language of power through English‐bilingual education. Ideologies and discourses of monolingualism and accountability for English learning continue to impact DLBE policy and practice as well as dehumanize language‐minoritized youth who are learning English. At the same time, research reported in this issue documents the pride, joy, and multilingual capacities of children and their families, as well as the possibilities for DLBE when we hold programs accountable for bilingual outcomes and avoid “equity traps.” In this introductory piece, the guest editors define key terms, provide a brief overview of equity challenges in DLBE, introduce each contribution, and conclude with important research and teaching needs moving forward.