Inside a West View Elementary classroom, two languages fill the room. English blends seamlessly with Spanish as students switch between subjects, learning not just words, but the worlds they represent.
The school’s dual-language program integrates both Spanish and English instruction to strengthen bilingual learning and cultural understanding among students in Muncie.
The Indiana Department of Education has grown the Dual Language Immersion Pilot Program from four schools in 2014 to 42 schools in 2022. West View Elementary is the only participating program in the Muncie Community School District.
Throughout time, civilization’s preservation of language can be described as an evolutionary journey. Various creative techniques, like art and music, allow for many forms of communication to garner universal understanding without words. Preserving languages greatly benefits oral histories.
A large contribution to language preservation is teaching various languages to the next generation. West View Elementary School’s Dual Language Program is actively encouraging Spanish-speaking in Muncie by sustaining linguistic diversity and cultural empathy as a product of its success.
Dual-language programs immerse students into learning two languages, commonly in a 50/50 or 80/20 model, to achieve bilingualism, biliteracy, academic excellence and sociocultural competence, according to the Center for Applied Linguistics.
West View is now in its ninth year of the program. Initially, the initiative started with kindergarteners on an 80/20 model, in which kids were only using the Spanish language 20 percent of the time they were in the class. As the program grew, they expanded into a 50/50 model, where students in kindergarten through fifth grade learn in each language 50 percent of the time.
West View principal Eric Ambler notes that it is not uncommon for new students to join the program in first grade, even if not enrolled during kindergarten. He explains that the program develops “sibling-like relationships and interpersonal relationships” that help the program feel like a family, since many students are in their specific cohort with their peers from kindergarten to fifth grade.
“The empathy that those kids show each other… I think it’s magnified by being in that setting,” Eric said.
Students can continue their learning at Northside Middle School, with the first cohort from the Dual Language Program now entering eighth grade at the school.
In the classroom, Kira Zick teaches Spanish all day through subjects like third and fourth-grade math, Spanish and Spanish language arts. The third graders switch from English learning in the morning to learning Spanish-related subjects with Kira in the afternoon.
One of Kira’s teaching methods includes using music to immerse the students. By picking out key vocabulary and learning about the artist, students learn different dialects.
“It’s impactful to witness the growth throughout the semester,” Kira said. “…Learning another language, it seems like it opens up so many doors.”
Over time, students become more comfortable speaking Spanish confidently and even spontaneously. With Kira finding fulfillment in exposing students to different cultures and the benefits of learning other languages, she sees firsthand the positive outcomes in how students interact with each other.
“I think it’s really neat that they are exposed to other cultures [and] people that aren’t like them. They’re excited to learn about places all around the world,” she said.
Eric describes the program as one that “preserves and honors cultural and linguistic heritage, fostering a diverse and inclusive school culture.” He explained that the dual-language initiative serves both native Spanish speakers and English learners, and that “significant language acquisition” has been observed among all students.
Eric and his staff have witnessed the program’s growth impacting both native Spanish and English speakers. The program’s success has led to community recognition and a growing waitlist at West View Elementary.
As West View Elementary and Northside Middle School look ahead to expand their Dual Language programs, teachers and administrators continue to see the impact beyond the classroom. Each new cohort of students help construct a bridge between English and Spanish that grows within the Muncie community.
This article is a part of Ball Bearings Fall 2025 magazine: The Archival Edition. Read more stories online at ballbearingsmag.com and pick up the print edition of the magazine across Ball State’s campus now.
