This paper argues in favor of dual language programs over typical bilingual education programs because in the dual language program the minority language has a status equal to the majority language. Through the use of the language experience approach, this study examines the role of elicited response from a small sample of English and Spanish speaking participants in an early childhood classroom. The traditional model and the dual language model are compared and contrasted focusing on the differing elicited responses from language learners. The dual language model is judged superior because of the belief that by seeing their English-speaking peers struggle with a second language, the Spanish-dominant speakers feel validated with their struggles with English. As a rule the minority language speaker is usually the only one to go through the experience of stumbling through a second language in front of an audience of native majority language speakers. To show all the children in the class that the hesitant, usually quiet Spanish speakers can actually speak quite fluidly in their native language is held to be tremendously important for all involved in the classroom. Language minority speakers get to be in the role of "expert" for part of the time. Every child has the opportunity to witness their peers' struggle to speak one language or the other. (Contains 10 references.) (KFT)