A decade of research on immersion programs in Ontario is synthesized. The immersion programs studied over this period include three major alternatives: early total French immersion, early partial French immersion, and late partial French immersion. The programs all serve an English speaking students population, devote at least one half of each…

It has been shown that students in North America can learn both a foreign language and subject matter taught in that language at the same time successfully. The immersion model is first examined for the majority group child, then considered for several target groups. (SCC)

An examination of progress in French education since the passage of Law 113 in 1970 recognizing French and English in public education. Topics discussed are: statistics on the French-speaking population; attitudes of the people; social and political factors; French schools and immersion programs; and program development. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

A discussion of the effect of an immersion program on the majority language child. Research is reviewed on the "threshold hypothesis" and "the developmental interdependence hypothesis." Recent studies of the cognitive and academic effects of bilingualism are critically examined in the light of these hypotheses. A bibliography…

This newsletter issue contains the following article and features: "Developing a Dual-Language Program" (Lynn Davey); Principal's Perspective: "Battling for Bilingualism" (Maurice P. Downey, Jr.); and Web Resources. Davey's article describes how the principal of a Phoenix elementary school managed the transformation of a traditional bilingual…

Coral Way Elementary School (Florida), the nation's oldest 20th-century public bilingual school, is recognized as a model for bilingual education. Its curriculum promotes enrichment and language development while building on the languages students bring to school. As well as a medium for moving students to English proficiency, it is a vehicle for…

This case study examined the effects of a Maori language and culture immersion preschool program on a preschooler's English and Maori language usage at home. School and home observations revealed the importance of the child's role in acquiring bilingual expertise, the presence of complementary activities at home, and shared cultural commitments.…

Focuses on African-American students' math and reading achievement in a Spanish-English two-way immersion program, from grade 1 to grade 4. Shows African-American students perform significantly lower than do majority White students on achievement tests at all grades. There is no significant difference between the two ethnic groups in Spanish…

Discusses why, where, and when two-way immersion programs were created; how they are being implemented (student population, program features, teachers, and instructional features); and what effects they are having, noting some of the issues that are emerging as this model gains popularity (e.g., minority languages other than Spanish, preserving…

As a multicultural teacher educator, the author has committed her professional life to helping future teachers understand their roles and responsibilities in working with the populations that Delpit (1995) referred to as "other people's children." Since the author is a former bilingual instructional assistant and English as a second language…

This collection of six essays and one bibliography on second language learning includes: (1) "Transfer in Relation to Some Other Variables in L2-Learning" (Hakan Ringbom); (2) "Word Frequencies in Finnish and Finland-Swedish Learner Language" (Hakan Ringbom); (3) "The Influence of Swedish on the English of Finnish…

An overview of some basic issues underlying the national debate on bilingual education: its history, goals, and political implications. Contrasts the maintenance and transitional approaches. Argues that bilingual education is a civil rights and an equity issue, an essential part of multicultural education. (LHW)

The study involved (1) a sociolinguistic description of Spanish/English use by 10 children (ages two to three) and eight mothers in two different bilingual preschool contexts (instruction and freeplay), and (2) an experimental attempt to encourage the use of Spanish, using Spanish "immersion" in a freeplay setting. (Author/DS)

The influence of bilingualism on third language learning in a bilingual community is examined. Measures of the English-language achievement of students instructed through the majority (Spanish) and minority (Basque) languages, suggest that bilingualism and other variables (intelligence, motivation, age, exposure) were good predictors of…

Compares the acquisition of English as a third language by Catalan/Spanish bilingual high school students in an immersion program with the acquisition of English by Spanish monolinguals. Data from 201 participants were submitted to a hierarchical multiple regression analysis, rendering results that show that bilingualism has a positive effect on…