ERIC Number: ED420196
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1998-Apr
Pages: 9
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Graduates of a French Immersion Program.
Foster, Rosemary
This study investigated results of a study that focused on the choice made by three anglophone Canadian graduates of a French immersion program in elementary and junior high school to take high school core courses in French. Specifically, the study examined the students' decisions regarding postsecondary education, career choices, language-related experiences since graduating from high school, recommendations for participants and educators in French immersion programs, and attitudes about their own children's participation in French immersion. The major result was that 4 years after completing high school, the respondents continued to regard their French immersion schooling experiences as successful and seminal in their development. None chose a career or postsecondary program requiring second language knowledge, none used French regularly, and all expressed a feeling of loss and a desire to seek out situations in which they could use French authentically. Other emerging themes included: pride in the immersion experience; a perception that they processed information and conceptualized ideas in ways that were different from their non-immersion counterparts; some embarrassment at not having used French since high school graduation except for travel within Canada or France; recommendation of immersion to others; and regret for not using French more outside school during immersion. Contains 12 references. (MSE)
Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education, Followup Studies, Foreign Countries, French, High School Students, High Schools, Immersion Programs, Language Attitudes, Language of Instruction, Language Research, Language Role, Language Usage, Parent Attitudes, Parent Influence, Second Language Instruction, Second Language Learning, Student Attitudes, Student Experience
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A