An evaluation of Manitoba's French immersion programs at the levels of grades 3, 6, and 9 focused on program effectiveness in teaching listening comprehension and speech skills. The results for grade 9 are presented here. The first section describes the framework of the immersion curriculum and the listening and oral skills targeted in it. The…

The first year of the Japanese Language Magnet Program, an elementary school immersion program providing a total language experience in a multicultural setting, is evaluated. The evaluation study assessed the program in terms of program planning, student population, and parent involvement. Data were gathered through interviews, document analysis,…

The handbook for the Culver City (California) Spanish Immersion Program and the Advocates for Language Learning (ALL) describes the program and organization. ALL is a nonprofit association of parents, teachers, and other individuals interested in promoting and enhancing the study of second languages. The organization's goals and local and national…

The enhanced metalinguistic abilities demonstrated by additive-bilingual children, including superior control of cognitive processing, may promote the development of symbolic reasoning. Children educated in additive-bilingual (immersion) settings may maintain normal native-language development, while acquiring a second language. This study…

This study reports the follow-up assessments of fourth- and fifth-grade students who had participated in a French immersion program beginning in kindergarten, and of students in the same grades who had not participated in immersion programs. The study was designed to assess the predictive validity of the early identification battery used for…

A guide to the planning and implementation of elementary school foreign language (FLES) programs presents statements of opinion and experience in various aspects of program development by a number of experts. An introductory section outlines basic program planning considerations, and a second chapter describes the work of the American Association…

Two articles combined here describe aspects of the Akron, Ohio Public Schools' summer foreign language immersion camps for both students and teachers. The first article, "The Akron Story Part I: Summer Foreign Language Camps" (John D. Durden and Sandra K. Strauber), outlines the structure of the camps, in which students live in simulated…

This research concerns the French immersion program and the program of 60 minutes of French instruction daily introduced by the Ottawa Roman Catholic Separate School Board at the first grade level. A longitudinal evaluation of the effects of these programs compares language proficiency, linguistic development, social maturity, academic…

This paper presents the findings of the last completed evaluation of a partial immersion program in St. Thomas, Ontario, which involves the use of French as the medium of instruction for half the school day and English for the other half, beginning in Grade One. Unlike the previous evaluation, in the current one a Canadian-normed instrument was…

This study explores the role of the language learning situation by comparing the speech of children in an immersion program, children learning a second language in a natural setting, and native French children. Three groups of children participated in the study: (1) 39 children (Grades K, 1, 3, 5) in a French immersion program in the U.S.; (2) 13…

This paper analyzes short stories written in English and French by French immersion pupils at the Grade 3 level. Their English writing skills are compared to those of Grade 3 pupils in a regular English program. Aspects of their writing skills which are examined include vocabulary skills, technical skills (punctuation, capitalization and…

The structure and programs of the multilingual European Schools network are outlined, focusing on the role of language in the curriculum. The schools' linguistic outcomes are compared with those of Canada's immersion programs. The use of social engineering to foster multilingual contacts is discussed. (MSE)

Identifies differences between bilingual programs for minority language children and second-language immersion programs for majority language children. Examines points of mutual relevance between approaches. Discusses exemplary characteristics of effective second-language learning environments: integration of language and academic instruction,…

Individuals interested in becoming translators should pursue a generalist arts and science background as undergraduates and begin professional study to become translators in graduate programs. Prospective translators first need the skills and knowledge learned in a good liberal arts education before acquiring skills necessary for accurate,…

This issue, the third in a series on the demographic forces shaping public education in the United States, examines the effect of the influx of Hispanic American and Indian immigrants. The first section, "Una Dia Nuevo for Schools," discusses how schools must adjust as Hispanic immigrants fan out to areas beyond those where they have…