The scholastic effects of participation in three types of French immersion programs (early, late, and partial) are examined in terms of the students' English language skills; the students' general academic achievement; and the development of functional competence in French. (JMF)

Canadian Parents for French is an association of concerned parents supporting the French language programs, particularly immersion and core programs, in the Canadian school system. They are investigating solutions to problems in individual districts and are a force with which the government must reckon. (JMF)

Exploring the school's possibilities and limits in promoting multiculturalism through bilingualism, the article describes and discusses various bilingual education programs developed in Canada and the U.S.A. in the last decade, giving special consideration to the student populations involved, and discusses the implications of the bilingual…

Canadian alternatives to early immersion programs for acquisition of French as a second language are discussed in the context of feasibility and known or potential value. The concept of a bicultural school is discussed. (Author/RM)

Studies second and third grade Spanish and English native speakers' proficiency in both languages and academic achievement, following exposure to extended-length bilingual/immersion program. Considers theoretical assumptions regarding language-thought relationship. Results link bilingualism and achievement. Identifies two language-proficiency…

Examination of a second grade additive-bilingual (Spanish-immersion) classroom, compared to a monolingual classroom for nonverbal problem-solving and native-language development, found significant differences in problem solving in favor of the bilingual class and no significant differences in native-language development. (46 references) (Author/CB)

An exploratory study used Los Angeles' Korean/English Bilingual Immersion Project (KEBIP) to examine effects of two-way immersion on ethnic identification of third-language speakers who received no first-language support from teachers. KEBIP participants were compared with ethnically matched students from other classrooms. Third-language students…

Hadi-Tabassum believes having a separate life context for each language she learned in childhood enabled her to switch easily among five different tongues. She states that the success of dual immersion bilingual programs is largely dependent on whether they immerse students in each of the involved languages separately and help students have a…

This study unpacks the inherent tension that arises when any school adopts a particular model for reform--how to mesh a model with the reality of daily life in the classroom. In the field of bilingual education, programme models abound, and the literature reflects a great diversity among them, as well as efforts to evaluate their relative…

The United States has a long record of ambivalence toward recent immigrants. Nowhere is this love-hate relationship more evident than in the public school systems of high-immigration states like California, where pro- and anti-immigration advocates have waged a long-running battle over "bilingual" education versus "English…

International Grammar School was founded twenty years ago on the belief in the benefits of immersion language learning for children. It offers immersion second language learning in German, Italian, French, and Japanese which continues through kindergarten into the high school years. With language as the medium and not the object of learning,…

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

Student achievement in grades kindergarten through four in the partial immersion program of the Ottawa Roman Catholic Separate School Board was investigated. Achievement in English and French language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science was assessed using instruments referenced to learning objectives. Student and teacher background…

A fundamental principle of second language acquisition is stated and applied to language teaching. The principle states that learners acquire a second language when they receive comprehensible input in situations where their affective filters are sufficiently low. The theoretical background of this principle consists of five hypotheses: the…

An examination of existing data was conducted to determine the effects of different kindergarten options on subsequent academic achievement in French immersion programs. It was concluded that there was no evidence for any superiority in outcomes for full-day bilingual as compared to half-day French kindergarten. No clear trends emerged in the…