Two models of content-based second language instruction are compared. The two models, French language immersion and mainstreaming, are illustrated in two case studies that focus on how minority language children fare in kindergarten programs. The first case study is of a native Cantonese-speaking child enrolled in an early French immersion program…

A survey of 23 Canadian schools of education investigated the French language competence of student enrolled in core and immersion French language teacher programs. The questionnaire developed for the study inquired about the native language of the students, methods used to sensitize non-francophone students to francophone culture, and strategies…

In French immersion programs in Canadian public schools, kindergarten is taught all in French, and the proportion of French instruction gradually decreases thereafter until in seventh grade instruction is only 50 percent French. This study examined the psychological adjustment of a group of first-grade children who had been enrolled in an early…

This general report presents findings of Manitoba's 1985 assessment of kindergarten English, French immersion, and heritage language programs. The report contains a description of classroom observations, and summaries of interviews with teachers and principals. Sections of the report focus on: (1) background to the assessment; (2) physical…

A shift in instructional focus to student needs and interests spurred the development of a different approach to French second language program design in Alberta. A practical curriculum planning model is offered that is based on: (1) communicative and student-centered activities; (2) responsiveness to teacher needs; and (3) supporting planning for…

Six papers on interlanguage are presented. The first, "Language Transfer," experimentally tests Robert Lado's contrastive analysis principles on the transfer of language skills to second language acquisition. The second paper, called "Interlanguage," builds on this work in discussing the structured nature of interlanguage and…

A study of the child's experience in learning a second language as it is embedded in his experience of kindergarten looks at two classes of unilingual (English-speaking) Canadian children in a half-day French immersion program. The immersion experience for the children is described in these terms: what "French" means to them; what and how they…

Results of a February 1983 survey of 96 Canadian school boards concerning French immersion instruction enrollments and program administration are presented. The survey revealed that 69 boards offered French immersion instruction (61 had early immersion, with an elementary level program in every province), 14 offered bilingual education, 23 offered…

The conceptual framework within which Alberta's elementary school French immersion programs are designed is presented. The first of three main sections outlines the evolution of the concept of language and some second language instructional approaches, including the structural, formalist, functional, and communicative approaches. It also discusses…

This manual for first grade French instruction accompanies the early French immersion program. It is based on general and specific learning objectives for the four language skills the child needs to develop (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). The introduction to the manual provides an overview of the program for the primary grades and…

This manual for second grade French instruction accompanies the early French immersion program. It is based on general and specific learning objectives for the four language skills the child needs to develop. The introduction to the manual provides an overview of the program for the primary grades and learning objectives for the four language…

This manual for fourth grade French instruction accompanies the early French immersion program. It is based on general and specific learning objectives for the four language skills the child needs to develop. The introduction to the manual provides an overview of the program for the middle grades and learning objectives for the four language…

This manual for fifth grade French instruction accompanies the early French immersion program. It is based on general and specific learning objectives and addresses the four language skills the child needs to develop. The introduction to the manual provides an overview of the program for the middle grades and learning objectives for the four…

This manual for sixth grade French instruction accompanies the early French immersion program. It is based on general and specific learning objectives and addresses the four language skills the child needs to develop. The introduction to the manual provides an overview of the program for the middle grades and learning objectives for the four…

This manual for seventh grade French instruction accompanies the early French immersion program. It is based on general and specific learning objectives and addresses the four language skills the child needs to develop. The introduction to the manual provides an overview of the program for the middle grades and learning objectives for the four…