The grade 6 social studies curriculum on Africa for French immersion is outlined. The syllabus consists of seven units. Each contains an instructional objective (in English); a number of specific performance objectives; and for each performance objective, required and optional vocabulary, a list of related activities, and exercises for classroom…

The results of surveys of early- and late-entry French immersion program graduates in Ottawa and Carleton, Ontario are reported and discussed. The majority of respondents were graduates who had transfered from early-entry immersion programs to bilingual programs in grades 7, 8, or 9, graduates of the full late-entry immersion program, and…

Canadian research relevant to French immersion program development in Ontario is reviewed and summarized. The review includes studies on six program or instructional aspects: (1) attitudes and motivation of immersion students and parents; (2) achievement of immersion students in English language arts and other subjects; (3) French proficiency and…

The teaching guide for Alberta's elementary school French immersion programs outlines an approach to articulating the program's notional content. It discusses the development of both receptive and productive language skills in this context. Introductory sections examine the principles underlying the skill development method, the aims behind the…

This publication provides information on programs of study in Canada under the following headings: (1) the language of the minority group (French in nine of the provinces, English in Quebec) as a subject of study, showing grade enrollments and participation rates; (2) the language of the minority qroup as a first language (designed for French…

Observation and analysis of classroom interaction is used in a pilot study of Grade 8 and 9 French immersion programs to evaluate the relative importance placed by teachers on different student oral behaviors. The frequencies of teachers' corrections for different kinds of students' errors (in second language [L2] skills, subject matter knowledge,…

This brief details the history of the federal government's stance with language minority students, and analyzes the implications of changes to its guiding principles made by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. With every federal re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act prior to 2001, the importance of bilingual…

The National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) newsletter is published 8 times a year in order to help NABE fulfill its mission of addressing the educational needs of language-minority Americans. Topics such as educational reform, bilingual education, bilingualism, indigenous bilingual education, second language teaching (theory and…

This guide, written in a question-and-answer format, provides basic information on bilingualism and raises practical issues in plain, clear, and direct language. It is written for both monolingual speakers who want to consider bilingualism and bilingual speakers who want to become better informed. Many of the ideas and perceptions in the first…

Documents opinions of educators in Quebec, Canada, on Bill 101, which made French the official language of instruction in the province. Describes educational situations, practices, and programs that pertain to language and to education for Protestants, Catholics, other religious groups, minority groups, and the disadvantaged. (MJL)

Concerns and trends in immersion instruction are identified and recommendations for the future are presented. Issues include language teacher education and qualifications; administrator role; accountability; junior, kindergarten, and special education; methods for encouraging nativelike language; and the definition of immersion. (Author/MSE)

The bibliography provides 19 annotated citations of research reports, journal articles, and dissertations concerning second-language writing instruction that have become available April 1-July 31, 1992. Topics include knowledge transfer and loss across languages, rhetoric, translation vs. direct composition, revision processes and patterns,…

In June of 1998, Proposition 227 was passed by 61 percent of the California electorate. The initiative was intended to significantly alter the ways in which the state's English learners (ELs) are taught. Proposition 227 requires that ELs be taught "overwhelmingly in English" through sheltered/structured English immersion (SEI) programs…

The partial immersion program at Key Elementary School (Arlington, Virginia), where half the day is taught in English and half in Spanish, continued to be successful in its ninth year. Reasons for success include: dedication and in-depth understanding of immersion philosophy among principal, coordinator, teachers, and staff; innovations in both…

This study investigated the degree of communicative competence of 8-year-old (n=45) students in five Welsh language immersion programs or Welsh-medium schools, comparing the children's skills with those of 10 native Welsh-speaking children. All were asked to retell a story show previously on video, and to participate in a group discussion task. In…