The unique learning environment of the English-Spanish dual immersion program at Chicago’s Inter-American Magnet School, which brings together English- and Spanish-dominant students in the classroom, is the setting for this multiyear study of language and identity among adolescents. Potowski explores classroom Spanish use and proficiency of four focal students—two whose first language is Spanish and two whose first language is English—in fifth grade and again in eighth grade through “systematic observations, audio and video recordings of naturally occurring classroom speech, and a combination of standardized and specially designed language proficiency measures” (p. 4). Observations of language behavior and interviews with the students and their classmates, parents, and teachers supplement the analysis of language use with an exploration of how the students’ identity investments affect their language use in the academic setting.

Potowski’s presentation of the history of the school and the evolution of the dual immersion program along with her richly detailed observations of the students and teachers produce a compelling text for anyone interested in dual immersion educational contexts. The reader comes away with a detailed picture not only of the adolescents learning Spanish and English but also of a complex learning environment that presents many challenges to the teachers invested in the dual immersion endeavor. Finding that the school’s goal of balanced bilingualism is not reached by many graduating students, Potowski highlights “the need to actively and consistently promote the use of Spanish” (p. 203). However, it is clear that it is difficult for teachers to enforce the use of Spanish among students, regardless of their long-term exposure to the language in the classroom, as their motivation to use this language is influenced by factors both within and external to the academic setting.