Structured literacy is an evidence-based approach (Brady, 2011; Fletcher et al., 2007; Foorman et al., 2016; IDA, 2018; NRP, 2000; TKI 2020a) informed by the science of reading acquisition instruction and how the brain acquires and processes information (Reyna, 2004; Seidenberg, 2017). The literature examines how this approach could support…

French immersion (FI) programs in Canada have historically served predominantly Canadian-born, English-speaking students and families in their endeavour to learn both of the country's official languages, French and English. However, FI programs are becoming increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse as a result of increased global…

Elitism has been an issue in Canadian French immersion since its inception. This study examines how two racially diverse Ontarian school boards and Ontario French immersion policy, curricula, and other related documents construct and support an elite student within the immersion program. The elite student who emerged from immersion documents is a…

Reading and writing translate to centuries of shared knowledge and can be expanded upon with the ability to acquire multiple tongues. In response to today's most widely spoken languages, Chinese/English and Spanish/English dual language immersion programs continue to grow across the United States. Unfortunately, the lack of uniformity in the…

This three-article dissertation examined how policy choices in three key policy areas -- initial enrollment, service provision, and reclassification -- impact English learner (EL)-classified students. The first article examined the national landscape of state statutes, regulations, and state education agencies' (SEA) guidance that support…

Translanguaging practices come into play in social interactions between bilinguals when they are making use of all their shared linguistic resources and blending their languages in natural ways. Stemming from these practices is translanguaging pedagogy, which is designed so that students in school-based additive bilingual programs can benefit from…

This paper provides a descriptive account of the growing landscape of school choice in Canada through a comparative analysis of funding and student enrolment in the public, independent and home-based education sectors in each province. Given that the provinces have responsibility for K-12 education, the mixture of public, independent and home…

As a language, Irish is unique to Ireland and is, therefore, of crucial importance to the identity of the Irish people, to Irish culture and to world heritage. The Irish language however has had a turbulent and traumatic history and has endured a complex and varied relationship with the Irish people. Since the foundation of the Irish Free State,…

Confronted with many challenges to improving the quality of U.S. public K-12 education, many policymakers have viewed the study of a second language as a useful but nonessential ingredient of a world-class education system. However, others point out that dual-language education can be a powerful intervention for closing the achievement gap for…

This study investigated the language and literacy practices of five graduates of a Spanish-English K-12 dual language immersion program through semistructured interviews to understand the residual impact of thirteen years in a Spanish-English bilingual school program. Drawing from sociocultural theory, the interviews also sought to provide an…

The implications of the new Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for developing second language programs in Edmonton, Alberta, are explored. Immersion programs and ethnic survival programs are examined in depth. (BS)

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

Achievement in French and English language skills and in mathematics is compared among groups of immersion students in Grades 3, 6, and 9 in the province of Manitoba. Comparisons are also made between these groups of immersion students and a sample of students whose native language is French. Different types of programs (early and late, total and…