Examines the self-assessed proficiency, language-related attitudes, and French use patterns of former immersion students. Early French use and contact with francophones outside the classroom correlate positively to the development of higher French proficiency and to greater use of French in daily life. (26 references) (Author/CK)

Foreign languages help advance the three key middle-level concepts of individualization, exploration, and articulation. In content-based, experiential foreign language instruction, students are immersed in the language while learning the content of other academic areas and discovering how to inquire, hypothesize, associate, and synthesize across…

Interest in foreign-language instruction in preschool is growing, both among parents and early-childhood educators trying to meet the demand. The interest, though, comes at a time when some districts are scaling back on such programs in the elementary grades in order to spend more time on reading and mathematics--the subjects currently tested to…

Considers different approaches to teaching culture within foreign language (FL) classes in Great Britain with the object of making a realistic suggestion on how to integrate language and culture. Particular focus is on FL students at the lower and intermediate levels, where cultural input is often omitted. (six references) (CK)

A study examined 19 families' perspectives in an American Sign Language (ASL)-English early childhood bilingual classroom. Family attitudes changed due to a balanced presentation from hearing and deaf perspectives, learning that the entire family could become bilingual, encouragement to interact with the deaf community, and the presentation of ASL…

This article presents an autoethnographical account of my foray into Spanish immersion education in Costa Rica as a professor of multilingual education at a university in Canada. This language-learning journey was inspired by curiosity about the growing trend for Internet marketing of second-language learning as a form of tourism, which I label…

This booklet is designed for eleven-to-fifteen year old students who are in, or who have just completed, a French immersion program. It addresses two concerns of students and their parents: (1) how well students are achieving in French, in English, in other subjects, and in their overall intellectual development; and (2) what possibilities exist…

The six-week immersion Summer Language Bursary Program is designed for post-secondary students wishing to study English or French as a second language. A two-year evaluation of students immediately after and eight months after indicated students had improved oral-aural language skills and increased knowledge of the second culture. (Author/BRR)

The internationalization of the business curriculum remains a priority for preparing students for a global workforce. Business schools continue to stress the importance of semester-long study abroad programs. Yet in colleges and universities with a growing population of non-traditional, working adult students, it is challenging to provide…

The rationale behind international homestay exchange programs for high school students is discussed and several existing exchange programs are described. Such programs serve to enhance motivation for language learning, cultural awareness, positive attitudes toward the host country, and parental and public consciousness of other cultures. The…

This case study examined the effects of a Maori language and culture immersion preschool program on a preschooler's English and Maori language usage at home. School and home observations revealed the importance of the child's role in acquiring bilingual expertise, the presence of complementary activities at home, and shared cultural commitments.…

Discusses programs for employees of global corporations seeking to learn more about language and culture. Detailed information is provided on the Ceran immersion program in Spa, Belgium. (Auth/JL)

A study compared the foreign language proficiency levels and language and cultural attitudes of students involved in two kinds of elementary school Spanish language programs: immersion and Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES). The study also investigated the variation in achievement among children in the same program. Fifth and sixth…

Hawaii has a strong crusade to revive the Hawaiian language to preserve the Hawaiian culture. The article examines the events leading up to the implementation of Hawaiian language immersion programs through the State Department of Education and lists specific immersion school goals and strategies. (SM)

In the context of an increasingly interdependent world society, discusses the benefits of early acquisition of a second language for American children. Benefits cited include the ease of learning a second language at an early age, improved abilities in concept formation, greater cognitive flexibility, and appreciation of cultural diversity. Second…