28 teaching resource. Having a control group in the current study would have served as a baseline for comparing the effects of the Risas y Sonrisas teaching resource. By isolating the independent variable, which was the Risas y Sonrisas teaching resource, to the experimental group, the researcher could have determined whether observed changes in the dependent variable, post-test scores, were attributable to the treatment or resulted from chance or extraneous factors. Given the limited sample size, the number of native English-speaking students enrolled in the two-way dual-language program was insufficient to establish distinct control and experimental groups. Recommendations The subsequent recommendations are derived from a critical analysis of the current study’s findings and their implications for future research and practice in the field of L2 acquisition and bilingual education: 1. Broaden the body of research focusing on native English-speaking participants acquiring Spanish as an L2 within two-way dual-language elementary programs. The current scarcity of studies examining English speakers’ L2 progression necessitates further investigation to inform evidence-based curricular decisions. Such research would enable school districts, school leaders, and teachers to implement more effective, targeted instructional strategies for Spanish L2 learners, thereby enhancing the overall efficacy of two-way dual-language programs. 2. Expand Senate Bill 1871 to disaggregate data to include native English speakers in the EB metrics for two-way dual-language programs. This expanded disaggregation would help the state of Texas, district leaders, bilingual departments, school leaders, and educators facilitate comparative analysis of native English speakers’ academic achievement in monolingual versus dual-language settings, providing a more comprehensive assessment of the program’s effectiveness in promoting bilingualism and academic success across all participant groups. 3. Implement a standardized L2 assessment measurement to be administered at least three times annually for native English- speaking participants in grades K–5. 4. Future research should prioritize expanding the sample size to enhance statistical power and increase the generalizability of the results. A more comprehensive and representative sample would provide greater confidence in the statistical analyses and potential broader applicability of the research outcomes for L2 researchers. 5. Incorporate a control group into the study design to more effectively isolate the effects of the L2 teaching resource from extraneous factors influencing L2 development. Conclusions Bilingual individuals, including English-speaking students enrolled in elementary two-way dual-language programs, have the potential to attain significant levels of L2 proficiency and achievement when they receive adequate exposure to the target language and benefit from high-quality instructional practices (Cummins, 1979, 1980) if their L2 progression is tracked. Their participation in two-way dual-language programs not only enhances their L2 linguistic capabilities but also cultivates cultural awareness and social competence. Ultimately, two-way dual-language programs contribute to the development of well-rounded individuals who are not only proficient in multiple languages but also culturally competent and prepared to engage with the complexities of an ever-evolving, globalized environment. References Barac, R., Moreno, S., & Bialystok, E. (2016). Behavioral and electrophysiological differences in executive control between monolingual and bilingual children. Child Development, 87(4), 1277–1290. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.l2538 Beres, A. (2017). Time is of the essence: a review of electroencephalography (eeg) and event- related brain potentials (erps) in language research. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback: In Association with the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, Bernadette Rose-Garcia White, Ed.D.
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