A variety of French language classroom activities are described, including a game to familiarize immersion students with Canada; exercises using songs; a teacher-student competitive vocabulary game; communicative activities; three games to practice verb conjugations, previously learned structures, and vocabulary; and a whole-language activity…

Compares the self-assessments of French proficiency made by approximately 500 grade 8 students in 2 different French immersion programs (early and middle) in Toronto, Canada. (38 references) (VWL)

Provides an overview of French Immersion programs in Canada and focuses on particular issues in current immersion research. Specifically, the monitoring of outcomes in English, French, and content courses is examined, and a diagnostic analysis of the learner's second-language development is presented. Finally, the importance of teacher education…

A group of core French studies involving the development and validation of the COLT (Communicative Orientation of Language Teaching) observation scheme, a French immersion observation study of vocabulary instruction and talk, and a French experimental immersion study regarding the effect on proficiency of functionally focused materials are…

Reports the use of students' native language by teachers in the foreign language classroom. The project was undertaken by French teachers in Australia. The teachers' aim was to investigate the use of the native language in a context that actively promotes an immersion approach to foreign language teaching (Author/VWL)

Offers immersion classroom data focusing on the use of collaborative tasks related to the content to be learned that draw learners attention to formal properties of French. Such tasks provide both oral practice and lead to more accurate language use. (Author/VWL)

This 2-year study examined the effects of early second language exposure on phonological awareness skills. Syllable, onset-rime and phoneme awareness skills of 72 anglophone children attending English or French immersion programs in primary and grade 1 were investigated. Three-way mixed ANOVAS revealed the following effects and interactions. In…

This study investigates the motivation for learning French, the ethnic identities, and the decision to pursue post-secondary education in French of anglophone graduates of intensive French language programs in high school. Sixty-two graduates of either French immersion, Advanced Placement French, or the International Baccalaureate French program…

The two volumes included here, one for grade 6 and one for grade 7, contain series of brief math exercises, generally consisting of three to six numerical problems and one word problem. The grade 7 exercises are somewhat longer than the grade 6 exercises. Designed for use in a middle school French immersion program, the materials are entirely in…

Discusses early and late French immersion programs, their advantages and disadvantages, and considerations of staffing, cost, student motivation, effect on native language skills, and program effectiveness. (CK)

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)

The experience of a British Columbia bilingual education program is outlined, with information about number of pupils, program objectives, staffing, teaching materials and cost. The program teaches French in a primarily English-speaking area. (CK)

The history of French immersion instruction in Canada is reviewed, and the literature relating to that history is examined. The first chapter offers three distinct perspectives on the emergence of French immersion: (1) chronological; (2) phenomenological and pragmatic; and (3) methodological and pedagogic. Also in the first chapter, the immersion…

The second language (French or English) learning activity portion of Katimavik, a nine-month volunteer community service and experiential learning program for 17 to 21-year-old Canadians, provides an opportunity for living in a French language environment with other people who speak French, or, for participants whose native language is French, to…

This booklet is presented as a guide for parents of elementary school French language students who wish to learn the language along with their children. Divided into seven sections, the booklet presents: (1) language learning hints; (2) pronunciation help including practice in the repetition of phonemes and stress and rhythm patterns; (3)…