Students whose first language is not English are the fastest-growing group in public schools in all regions of the United States. Almost 10 million children between the ages of five and 17 live in the homes and communities in which a language other than English in spoken and presently most schools in the U.S. are under-educating many English…

English language predictors of English and French reading development were investigated in a group of 140 children who were enrolled in French immersion programs. Children were first tested in kindergarten, and their reading achievement was tested yearly in both English and French from Grades 1 to 3, with word-level and passage-level measures that…

In this paper, I first review previous research on the topic of safetalk. I then apply some of the insights derived from this discussion to a case study of the Luxembourgish primary school system. The study uses both ethnographic and discourse analysis, and focuses in particular on the role of French language varieties in a system that forces…

A description of an immersion program for 6-year-old anglophone children modeled on "les classes d'accueil" for immigrant children. The program of intensive instruction in oral and written French is outlined. This school district has found this type of immersion superior to the usual kind. (The text is in French.) (AMH)

This annotated bibliography of children's literature presents over 150 books, stories and songs that can be used in the French language classroom to introduce literature in French to children in Kindergarten through third grade. The selected texts (97 titles in fiction and 62 titles in non-fiction) were chosen for their age-appropriate language…

Determines whether French immersion programs result in detrimental effects on the ability of children in such programs to read and write in English. Finds that writing in English and French is fairly comparable across languages and that there is a transfer of processing behavior across languages. (MG)

A discussion of a project in Quebec in which language disabled children are not switched out of immersion programs but are provided with remedial instruction within these programs. The students develop facility in their first language, learn basic skills, exhibit no exceptional behavioral problems and acquire competency in French. (AMH)

Two questions are addressed: (1) Should immersion programs be offered to all children, and (2) should the child who is experiencing difficulties in immersion be switched to the regular English program? It is felt that there is no definite answer to the first question at present and that the answer to the second is "yes." (AMH)

A study of the French immersion program in Quebec, in which English reading is introduced in some schools at Grade 2 and in some at Grade 3. The stage at which English reading was first taught was found not to affect reading grade level. (Author/RM)

A study is made of students at 17 schools which in September 1971 offered a primary immersion program in French as well as the standard English language classroom. The progress of the students was examined in terms of their grade level placement over time and in terms of attrition rates. (Author/RM)

Presents data on interlanguage development obtained from a storytelling exercise using a picture storybook for children in an Australian French-English immersion program. (Author/VWL)

An explanation of a kindergarten French immersion program includes essential background information, details of implementation, problems encountered, practical and theoretical implications and suggested solutions to the difficulties encountered. (CK)

Describes an investigation of individual differences in French language achievement in a group of first-grade anglophone students attending a total early immersion program. Discusses factors used to predict achievement in French language arts, listening comprehension, and oral production, and analyzes significant correlations. (Author/MES)

An examination of existing data was conducted to determine the effects of different kindergarten options on subsequent academic achievement in French immersion programs. It was concluded that there was no evidence for any superiority in outcomes for full-day bilingual as compared to half-day French kindergarten. No clear trends emerged in the…

A brief discussion of delayed instruction in native language reading in immersion programs where second language reading instruction is introduced in grade one. It is noted that long-term effects on a child's interest in reading and the extent of parental involvement in the reading process have not been investigated. (AMH)