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)

What do parents, administrators, teachers and trustees really think about immersion programs? (Editor)

Two frequently made claims about French immersion programs in Canada are analyzed: (1) the planning and implementation of such programs is adequate as practiced to satisfy participants within the program; and (2) resulting improvements in French learning are likely to achieve federal policymakers' goals of ameliorating animosities between…

There is more to French immersion programs in Canada than social class analysis. Program success is determined not by social class per se, but by use of appropriate strategies, staff, resources, and curriculum implementation. (CJ)

Describes the remarkable expansion of French immersion programs in Canada during the last fifteen years, stating that this "quiet revolution" of bilingualism among English-speaking Canadians has occurred in spite of various administrative, financial, pedagogical, and sociopolitical problems. Emphasizes that improvement is still needed in…

A comparison of the French proficiency of bilingual and monolingual native English, Italian, or non-Romance language speaking eighth graders in an Ontario bilingual program found that the bilingual students generally performed better than monolingual students on cloze procedure tests and story telling tasks. (40 references) (Author/CB)

In dual immersion classrooms, students from different language backgrounds are immersed in the minority language for large portions of the school day with the expectation that they will become equally proficient in their first language (L1) and in their second language (L2). Research on dual immersion indicates that students reach above-average…

This study unpacks the inherent tension that arises when any school adopts a particular model for reform--how to mesh a model with the reality of daily life in the classroom. In the field of bilingual education, programme models abound, and the literature reflects a great diversity among them, as well as efforts to evaluate their relative…

In this paper, we undertake a cross-national comparison of early partial immersion programmes, known as dual language or Modelo B programmes, in the USA and the Basque Country in Spain, respectively. We attempt to make sense of their growth, the expanded social uses of the minority languages, and address seemingly contradictory pedagogical…

Describes and evaluates French immersion programs in New Brunswick, covering grades 1-12. (CK)

A research colloquium was held by the Ontario Ministry of Education in April 1976 on the subject of alternative programs for teaching French as a second language. A summary is given of discussion during which the audience was invited to question a panel of researchers, guest analysts and school officials. (RM)

Reports on a research study seeking to determine why a large percentage of English-speaking Canadian parents do not enroll their primary-aged children in French immersion programs. (AM)

Examines the relationships between the first (L1), second (L2), and third (L3) language in immersion programs for Russian-speaking students in Israel. Two parallel and similar immersion programs, which were carried out for the same population, but with different target languages (L2 Hebrew and L3 English), are described. Presents tentative…

Discusses and dispels four myths about second-language education. Shows that ample evidence favors bilingualism, bilingual education, and literacy in children's native languages as the means to help children grow academically. Offers "best practices" recommendations regarding program, methods, materials, and parental involvement. (SR)

A discussion of the effectiveness of French immersion education chronicles its history, presents some of the evidence against the approach, discusses the findings of a recent report in light of pedagogical rather than theoretical second language acquisition assumptions, and outlines the alternative road to bilingualism through classroom…