There is more to French immersion programs in Canada than social class analysis. Program success is determined not by social class per se, but by use of appropriate strategies, staff, resources, and curriculum implementation. (CJ)

Describes the remarkable expansion of French immersion programs in Canada during the last fifteen years, stating that this "quiet revolution" of bilingualism among English-speaking Canadians has occurred in spite of various administrative, financial, pedagogical, and sociopolitical problems. Emphasizes that improvement is still needed in…

Proposes a model of immersion strategy based on an emphasis on communication and on the use of a great variety of teaching techniques. (AM)

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)

The scholastic effects of participation in three types of French immersion programs (early, late, and partial) are examined in terms of the students' English language skills; the students' general academic achievement; and the development of functional competence in French. (JMF)

Canadian Parents for French is an association of concerned parents supporting the French language programs, particularly immersion and core programs, in the Canadian school system. They are investigating solutions to problems in individual districts and are a force with which the government must reckon. (JMF)

Exploring the school's possibilities and limits in promoting multiculturalism through bilingualism, the article describes and discusses various bilingual education programs developed in Canada and the U.S.A. in the last decade, giving special consideration to the student populations involved, and discusses the implications of the bilingual…

Canadian alternatives to early immersion programs for acquisition of French as a second language are discussed in the context of feasibility and known or potential value. The concept of a bicultural school is discussed. (Author/RM)

Shows how one teacher skillfully integrates vocabulary instruction with his subject matter teaching. The teacher links the target vocabulary to the students' experiences and concentrates on word meanings and their written and oral forms and syntactic behavior, pushing students to accurate use of the words in context. (12 references) (Author/CK)

Discusses a collaboration in the design and implementation of student portfolios to examine growth in foreign-language proficiency. Analysis of the portfolios showed that many factors should be considered by teachers in deciding on contents and objectives of the portfolios. (Author/JL)

Assesses the effect of a program of communicative language teaching on foreign-language (FL) acquisition in the United States. The article describes the frustration of FL teachers and students at students' difficulty in reaching senior-level status and suggests that colleges require FL majors to spend a year in an immersion program in countries…

Illustrates how the pedagogical strategies of French immersion teachers are shaped by various aspects of those teachers' representations of language. (35 references) (Author/CK)

Nizipuhwahsin, or Real Speak School, on the Blackfeet Reservation in northwestern Montana, is producing the first fluent Blackfoot speakers in two generations. Based on the "language nest" strategy pioneered in Hawaii and New Zealand, the K-8 school and associated daycare center immerse students and toddlers in the language throughout…

A comparison of the French proficiency of bilingual and monolingual native English, Italian, or non-Romance language speaking eighth graders in an Ontario bilingual program found that the bilingual students generally performed better than monolingual students on cloze procedure tests and story telling tasks. (40 references) (Author/CB)

Proposes a conceptual framework for integrating second language and content instruction, in which language and content teachers work collaboratively to determine language-teaching objectives. This framework is applied in English as a Second Language, language immersion, elementary school foreign language, and mainstream classes. (Author/CB)