The history of French immersion instruction in Canada is reviewed, and the literature relating to that history is examined. The first chapter offers three distinct perspectives on the emergence of French immersion: (1) chronological; (2) phenomenological and pragmatic; and (3) methodological and pedagogic. Also in the first chapter, the immersion instruction situations in the United States and Europe are profiled for comparison. The second chapter contains a bibliography of 409 citations, most annotated, on French immersion in Canada. The bibliography covers the period 1968-88. Chapter 3 is a commentary on the bibliography, focusing on the following aspects of the field: research and implementation, the net results of French immersion, the strengths and limits of program evaluation, the weaknesses of immersion, and the debate between immersion partisans and adversaries. A concluding chapter addresses the theoretical and practical issues separately and makes recommendations for future research. A list of references is included. Appended materials include a letter concerning the origin of the term "immersion," data on immersion program offerings in each province, and a list of association acronyms and addresses. (MSE)