This handbook is designed to help teachers of French Canadian immersion students plan effective language learning experiences for their students in the transition year to English instruction. In the transition year, French immersion students are first introduced to formal instruction in English. This introduction presents a unique challenge for…

The results of the achievement and enrollment study are reported for six elementary foreign language magnet programs that were implemented as part of the desegregation plan in Kansas City, Missouri. In addition to the foundation curriculum, two goals are emphasized: teaching foreign language and exposing students to foreign cultures. Three strands…

This special report on the assessment of French immersion students in Alberta focuses on critical issues and methodological problems with testing methods. After an introduction, the second section gives an overview of these issues and problems. Issues discussed include the following: whether students instructed in French immersion programs should…

A study compared the achievement of students in three Ottawa French programs: early French immersion (EFI), begun in kindergarten; middle French immersion (MFI), begun in fourth grade; and late French immersion (LFI), begun in sixth grade, with students in core French instruction since kindergarten. Extensive testing and data-collection…

Results of a study of the efficacy of foreign language instruction at the elementary school level are presented. The study provides new information permitting comparison of three program types--Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES), partial immersion, and immersion--currently used in schools in the United States. The results are based…

Several research and evaluation studies completed in bilingual education programs for language minority children in Canada are presented to support the claim that heritage, or first, language (HL) literacy plays an important role in the acquisition of a third language. A study completed by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education…

This is a report of a study in two parts, one on teaching and the other on learning. The subjects of the first part were sixth graders in two different programs, one a core program and the other an immersion program. The subjects of the learning study were secondary school students and adults. The purpose of the study was: (1) to develop…

In the first study of this series, it was found that children who have difficulty in primary French immersion are distinct from children having a primary reading disability, minimal brain dysfunction, hyperactivity or primary emotional disturbance. The present study was undertaken in order to cross-validate the findings of the first study, to…

The development of first language skills among native English-speaking students enrolled in early French immersion programs was explored. Preliminary results support the hypothesis that early bilingual schooling enhances the students'performances on various kinds of first language learning tasks. (Author/CB)

These three journal issues contain the following articles: "Japanese at Mimosa Elementary School" (Azusa Uchihara); "A Successful Keypal Project Using Varied Technologies" (Jean L. Pacheco); "Promoting a Language-Proficient Society: What You Can Do" (Kathleen M. Marcos and Joy Kreeft Peyton); "Journal Reflections…

This study investigated the relationship of language learning strategies use and self-efficacy of French, Japanese, and Spanish elementary immersion students. Previous and concurrent research conducted by the National Capital Language Resource Center (NCLRC) indicated that secondary level language students show positive correlations between the…

Dickinson College (Pennsylvania) has established an immersion language program for high school foreign language teachers at its French, Spanish, and German overseas sites. The program focuses on political and cultural life, history, art, industry, and preparation of a new curriculum to implement at home. Greater self-confidence and more classroom…

This collection of 10 papers focuses on multilingual education programs and policies in Europe, concentrating on publicly-funded, non-elitist programs. The papers include: (1) "Bilingual Education in Wales" (Colin Baker); (2) "Catalan and Basque Immersion Programmes" (Josep Maria Artigal); (3) "Bilingual or Bicultural…

The grade 6 social studies curriculum on Africa for French immersion is outlined. The syllabus consists of seven units. Each contains an instructional objective (in English); a number of specific performance objectives; and for each performance objective, required and optional vocabulary, a list of related activities, and exercises for classroom…

The results of surveys of early- and late-entry French immersion program graduates in Ottawa and Carleton, Ontario are reported and discussed. The majority of respondents were graduates who had transfered from early-entry immersion programs to bilingual programs in grades 7, 8, or 9, graduates of the full late-entry immersion program, and…