A great deal of time and resources are invested throughout Canada to encourage students to learn French as a second official language through a variety of programs (core French, intensive French, and French immersion programs). Little is known, however, about the impact of these efforts once French language learners complete their high school…

This paper makes a contribution to the field of French immersion studies by examining student attitudes towards the secondary French immersion curriculum. Some of the students had made the decision to stay engaged with the programme while others had become disengaged from it. Drawing on the results of interviews with 23 students in a high school…

This paper reports on the piloting of podcasts created to support Anglophone French Immersion (FI) students in academic listening. The authors developed a series of seven English language podcasts grounded in metacognitive and L2 listening theory to provide FI students with strategies to enhance L2 listening ability and note-taking skills for…

This volume builds on Fortune and Tedick's 2008 Pathways to Multilingualism: Evolving Perspectives on Immersion Education and showcases the practice and promise of immersion education through in-depth investigations of program design, implementation practices, and policies in one-way, two-way and indigenous programs. Contributors present new…

Students' use of French in unsupervised classroom situations and outside the classroom was investigated in immersion center schools (all students are involved in French immersion programs) and dual track schools (French immersion programs co-exist with regular English language programs). A total of 414 students in grades 3 and 4 were observed…

The effects of different variables on second language acquisition, specifically the effect of parental influence, were tested on the Gardner (1979) model of second language acquisition. Data were obtained from 68 anglophone students in grades 7-10 enrolled in a French immersion program and also from their parents. A factor analysis of parental…

Summarizes an evaluation of an early French immersion program at grades 6 and 8. In English language skills, immersion students performed as well as, or better than, English-only program groups; in mathematics and sciences, immersion students did as well as their comparison group. Other findings are discussed. (PJM)

The Ottawa school system conducts French instruction in both immersion and "core" or regular programs. Special features are bilingual grades at the higher level and a bilingual high school. French Immersion programs are evaluated in terms of expense and educational effect. (CK)

Attitudes toward French language programs and future language plans were surveyed in a sample of students who had participated in Ottawa school district bilingual programs. A total of 178 completed questionnaires were returned by students who had registered in grade 12 French language classes in 1978 to 1980. The majority of the students had…

Research is presented in support of the theory that early French immersion of English-speaking children leads to bilingualism. The evidence is limited to children through the end of grade four. Comments and criticisms are made by three guest analysts. (RM)

A report is made of an investigation regarding the type of learning disabilities found in children who fail or do poorly in primary French immersion programs. Comments and criticisms are made by three guest analysts. (RM)

A comparison was made of an early French immersion program and an English language elementary program. Major trends resulting from the comparison are summarized. Comments and criticisms are made by three guest analysts. (RM)

Part of the Eleventh Annual Report to the Ontario Ministry of Education, this report describes the grade and program location of students who entered kindergarten in Ottawa and Carleton, Ontario in 1974, known as the K-74 cohort. The first section of the report deals with the K-74 cohort; later sections deal with students who joined either early…

A research colloquium entitled "Alternative programs for teaching French as a second language in the schools of the Carleton and Ottawa School Boards" was held by the Ontario Ministry of Education in April 1976. The purpose, background, and program of the colloquium are described. (RM)

An overview and synthesis is given of a number of studies concerned with different aspects of a major research project related to French programs in Carleton and Ottawa schools. Comments and criticisms are made by three guest analysts. (RM)