Soyul and Teacher Yvette: Adventures in Preschool Second Language Acquisition is a DVD/CD-ROM set, showcasing one dual language learner across fourteen months of preschool. An avenue for observation, it offers a dynamic view of the stages and strategies involved in second language acquisition. The featured video presents a singular case study of one child over time, capturing the trajectory of her language development.

Soyul and Teacher Yvette: Adventures in Preschool Second Language Acquisition consists of three twenty-minute videos and a facilitator's guide (in English and Spanish) and expressly supports:
Directors of early childhood education centers,
Instructors at colleges and universities,
Monolingual and bilingual teachers,
Parents and families.

Each video serves as a springboard for flexible, mobile professional development:
Video One documents Soyul, Teacher Yvette, and the four stages of preschool second language acquisition;
Video Two zeroes in on the characteristics of each stage with commentary on Soyul's language abilities;
Video Three focuses on the teaching strategies appropriate to Soyul at each of the four stages and the benefits of supporting the first language and culture of the dual language learner.

This DVD features commentary by leaders and researchers in the field:
Moisés Román, Director of Curriculum, UCLA Early Care and Education,
Marlene Zepeda, Ph.D., Professor, Researcher, Consultant,
Julie Espinoza, Director of Education, Mothers' Club Family Learning Center,
Gay Macdonald, Executive Director, UCLA Early Care and Education,
Linda M. Espinosa, Ph.D., Author, Researcher, Consultant.

About the Author: In 2008, Sally Durbin and Phil Bedel founded the nonprofit Teaching At The Beginning, Inc. On its behalf, they photographed, edited, and produced the DVD package, Soyul & Teacher Yvette: Adventures in Preschool Second Language Acquisition. They provide professional development sessions on dual language learning and have presented to numerous organizations, such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children, California Association for the Education of Young Children, California Association for Bilingual Education, and Teach for America.

Sally Durbin is a National Board Certified Teacher and holds an Administrative Credential. She earned the Language Development Specialist (LDS) and the Bilingual Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development (BCLAD) certificates from the state of California. For twenty years, she provided bilingual instruction to preschool dual language learners in the Los Angeles Unified School District. As an advocate of quality preschool, she created and delivered professional development sessions to National Board candidates at UCLA's Center X; provided consultation to the Disney Educational Media Company; and campaigned for the groundbreaking First 5 California, now serving families throughout the state. She graduated with honors from UCLA, where she earned her teaching credential at the School of Education.

Phil Bedel has edited and directed for broadcast television and has worked extensively in documentary film. He taught film and photography at the Otis-Parsons Art Institute and at UCLA. Mr. Bedel earned a BA in Anthropology and an MFA in Motion Picture and Television Production at UCLA.
In 2005, Sally Durbin and Phil Bedel produced the award-winning documentary Beating the Odds, advocating universal access to quality preschool.