ERIC Number: ED225368
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1980-Nov
Pages: 65
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Starting French in Kindergarten: The Effects of Program, Mother Tongue and Other Linguistic Experience on Second Language Development.
Adiv, Ellen
A study was carried out to assess the French language proficiency of kindergarten students enrolled in a French early immersion program and two "classes d'accueil," that is, a special program for non-French speaking immigrant children. The particular focus of the study was to investigate whether the level of proficiency in French is influenced by the structure of the native language and the learner's knowledge of a third language. Also, the students' proficiency in their native language was examined and, where applicable, their proficiency in a third language. Second language listening and oral production skills were measured in French and English; native language skills were assessed in French, English, and Greek. In French, the early immersion group scored significantly lower than the two Accueil groups on most measures. There was no significant difference between the Accueil groups and the native French control group on the comprehension test, but the Accueil groups scored significantly lower than the control group on the production tests. These and other results are discussed in terms of program intensity, contact with francophone peers, structural similarities between native and second language, and the level of proficiency of the learner's third language. Statistical analyses and the tests used are appended. (Author/AMH)
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Quebec Dept. of Education, Quebec.
Authoring Institution: Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal (Quebec).
Identifiers - Location: Canada (Montreal)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A