An extensive resource manual and teaching guide is presented for the kindergarten teacher in the early French immersion program. The first three chapters contain introductory material discussing the kindergarten child, this particular program, language development in kindergarten, and the role of the kindergarten teacher which is analagous to that…

A comparison of the salient characteristics of Canadian and United States bilingual education programs suggests various settings where it would be desirable to introduce children to schooling in their home language. These settings include: (1) the various ethnic communities in the United States, (2) multilingual developing countries, (3) parts of…

This paper presents the results of the evaluation of the North York French immersion program at kindergarten, grade 1 and grade 2. The evaluation included the pupils enrolled in the first class established at each grade level, and focussed on the following four questions: (1) Are pupils developing competence in the French language; (2) Is the…

The purpose of this report on the Concordia College Language Village is to: (1) describe one aspect of the assessment effort, a survey of foreign language teachers whose students had attended the Village; (2) provide demographics for the 899 teachers who responded to the survey; and (3) display and comment on the findings drawn from data…

In a 3-year, federally-funded program, faculty at St. Olaf College (Minnesota) have developed a series of behavioral and natural science courses in which students with at least the fourth semester of foreign language do a portion of the course readings in the second language and meet once a week to discuss them in that language with the regular…

This collection of essays on early French second language instruction includes: "Why Bilingualism?" (Steven MacKinnon); "French Second-Language Programs: Alternative Approaches" (Henry P. Edwards); "Core French: A Brighter Future" (Janet Poyen, Judy Gibson); "The Parents' Role" (Deborah Whale); "Franco…

This guide is designed for Alberta (Canada) parents of French immersion students beginning formal English language instruction for the first time. In question-and-answer format, it discusses issues commonly of concern to these parents. Issues addressed include the following: why English instruction is introduced in the second or third year of…

Results of a provincial survey of Manitoba's French immersion program graduates are reported. The two most recent cohorts of graduates (1987-88 and 1988-89) from nine secondary schools were surveyed, with 225 respondents. Three introductory sections describe the study's background and purpose, methodology, and interpretation. The fourth section…

The following are English translations of the titles of student research papers from a university conference on linguistics: "The Onomastic Syntagm in Geology: A Comparative Study of English and French"; "Hunting Ideology Through Discourse Analysis"; "Peculiarities of Canadian French (Archaisms and Pronunciation): An…

The Development of Bilingual Proficiency is a large-scale, five-year research project begun in 1981. The final report contains three volumes, each concentrating on specific issues investigated in the research: (1) the nature of language proficiency, including second language lexical proficiency and the development and growth of metaphor…

A report on second language instruction in elementary schools outlines the state of the art and makes policy and program and offers recommendations. An introductory section discusses the rationale for foreign language instruction at all levels and particularly in elementary schools, emphasizing the value of early and prolonged exposure to language…

A two-year study of "Learning Disabilities Found in Association with French Immersion Programming" indicated that children who encounter difficulty in primary French immersion programs may have a specific learning disability characterized by a maturational lag in the temporal lobe regions of the brain. In addition, it was found that…

This paper examines efforts to save rapidly declining indigenous languages around the world. The entire process of language preservation and revitalization is a massive undertaking that requires immense long-term planning and support. These problems extend well beyond the linguistic concerns of the language itself. Language policy is inherently…

The report reviews current research findings related to the three entry points (early, middle, late) for French immersion programs in Ottawa (Ontario) elementary and secondary schools. It consists of: an executive summary and brief overview; an annotated bibliography covering authoritative immersion research reviews and reports published since…

This handbook is designed to help Alberta (Canada) elementary school administrators facilitate efficient and successful experiences for French immersion students receiving formal English language instruction for the first time. In question-and-answer format, it discusses briefly the following issues: what administrators need to know about students…