From Westminster to the Region: How Warner Middle School Became a Model for Vietnamese Dual Language Immersion
May 21, 2026
In early May, Westminster School District's Vietnamese Dual Language Immersion program found itself at the center of a regional conversation about bilingual education — one that played out in classrooms, on a conference stage, and finally through the voices of its own students.
On May 1, educators traveled to Warner Middle School for a Pre-Conference Learning Walk, an opportunity to observe Vietnamese Dual Language Immersion instruction as it unfolds on a typical school day. What they encountered were classrooms where students were working collaboratively, producing language with purpose, and engaging with complex texts across grade levels. The instruction was rigorous, standards-aligned, and grounded in the kind of daily practice that takes years to build. The conversations that followed were reflective, and the feedback was consistent — a response that has become familiar. The visit marked the fourth time this year that Orange County Department of Education educators had traveled to Warner to observe the program, a pattern that speaks to what the district has built over time.
"When you invite colleagues into your classroom, you're opening a real conversation about teaching and learning. My hope was that they'd leave with something practical — not just a picture of what's possible, but how language learning happens every day with our students," said Ms. Diana L. Doan, Dual Language Immersion Social Studies teacher at Warner Middle School.
The following morning, the work continued at the Model Curriculum DLI Convening at the Anaheim Marriott, where educators from across Orange County and the United States had gathered to share research and practice on bilingual education. WSD teachers Ms. Diana Doan and Mr. Joseph Nguyen presented on the realities of building and sustaining a strong middle school dual immersion program — the decisions, the challenges, and what the program has learned from years of doing this work with students and families.
"Standing in front of educators from across the country and talking about this program — it was a reminder of how far we've come and how much our students have made possible. What we've built here works because our community believes in it," said Mr. Joseph Nguyen, Dual Language Immersion and Social Studies teacher at Warner Middle School.
Warner students were also present throughout the day, participating in a Student Showcase where they shared their learning with conference attendees. They engaged the room with the ease of young people who understand what they've built and what it means — not performing biliteracy, but embodying it.
The convening closed with a panel titled "Heritage and Community: Shaping the Next Generation of Leaders," where two Warner 8th graders joined educators and community members in a conversation about how growing up bilingual shapes identity and prepares young people for what comes next. Speaking to an audience of 230 participants, they were thoughtful, grounded, and entirely themselves. WSD Trustee Frances Nguyen opened the panel with remarks on why bilingual education is not an add-on but a foundational commitment to students' long-term readiness.
"Bilingualism is not a program — it is a promise we make to our students and to this community. Watching our young people stand on that stage and own their story was a reminder of why we made that promise in the first place," said WSD Trustee Frances Nguyen.
Westminster School District is currently enrolling for the Vietnamese Dual Language Immersion program. Families interested in learning more can visit the district website.