A qualitative study examined how three urban California school districts and teachers in three case study classrooms interpreted and implemented Proposition 227. School district implementation varied according to district language ideology. Nevertheless, English only policy and accompanying highly scripted reading reforms stripped teachers of…

A key to closing the achievement gap between students who come to school speaking a language other than English and native English speakers is adoption of two-way bilingual immersion (TWBI) programs. The bilingual immersion approach fosters excellent academic achievement and positive school attitudes in students of any ethnicity who participate.…

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…

A 3-year, three-part study investigated the learning strategies (LS) of children in grades 1-4 learning a foreign language (French, Spanish, Japanese) in an immersion setting and assisted immersion teachers in using LS for instruction. A sample of 72 high-rated and low-rated students were followed for 2 to 3 years. Professional development…

A discussion of English-as-a-Second-Language teaching techniques and approaches for young children focuses on principles found to contribute to successful program development. First, characteristics of successful language immersion programs are outlined: parental involvement and support; students who are members of a majority group; positive…

The Threshold Project examined the nature of the language and learning difficulties that black Standard Three (Std 3, or grade 5) children in South Africa experience when they change from their mother tongue to English as a medium of instruction and learning, a policy known as "delayed immersion." This report focuses on the first major…

Based on data collected during site visits in March 1978 to four Wisconsin school districts (Freedom, Pulaski, Seymour, and West DePere), this document evaluates a state project on Oneida language instruction. The project evolved from an expressed interest by Oneida Tribal members, elementary school children, and university students in learning…

The Hawaiian Language Immersion program (HLI) is described and evaluated. HLI began in 1987 with two small classes on two islands and within 6 years had grown, in response to parent interest, to serve 621 students in grades K-7 in 6 schools on 5 islands. Participating students are taught entirely in Hawaiian until grade 5; in grades 5 and 6 one…

It is proposed that research on neurological organization, cognitive psychology, and artificial intelligence can contribute to understanding the relationship between second language learning processes and academic achievement. Relevant research in these areas and in the field of neurolinguistics is reviewed, with several themes or topics…

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…

Searching for additional bilingual-crosscultural teachers, the California State University (CSU) system plans to combine teacher education and the CSU International Programs approach. Basic elements of this program are: (1) intensive study of Spanish and immersion in a Spanish-speaking milieu; (2) a living experience in the Mexican culture; (3) a…

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…

Instruction in English as a second language for differentially prepared college students should be conducted in an environment in which students have input from a wide range of authentic spoken and written language samples, varying in difficulty level. The instructional process should be viewed by the students as neither intimidating nor…

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…