French immersion (FI) programs in Canada have historically served predominantly Canadian-born, English-speaking students and families in their endeavour to learn both of the country's official languages, French and English. However, FI programs are becoming increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse as a result of increased global…

The Syilx Language House has completed two years of a four-year, 2,000-hour program to create new adult Nsyilxcn speakers, based on Syilx communities' specific priorities. Our critically endangered status requires radically decolonizing teaching techniques. Nsyilxcn (Okanagan) teachers are learners, trained to deliver sequenced curriculum in full…

Translanguaging practices come into play in social interactions between bilinguals when they are making use of all their shared linguistic resources and blending their languages in natural ways. Stemming from these practices is translanguaging pedagogy, which is designed so that students in school-based additive bilingual programs can benefit from…

This report reviews results of research on the outcomes of French immersion students with special educational needs related to low levels of general academic ability and low levels of first language ability (and possibly impairment), as well as those of students with difficulty or who are at risk for difficulty in learning to read. Studies of the…

Presents an evaluation of the partial French immersion program offered in the English schools of the Ottawa Roman Catholic Separate School Board from grades one to four. Variables under study include pupil skills in English and French, teacher ratings of classroom behavior, and parental views. (Author/MES)

A survey of research on French as a second language (FSL) education in Canada suggests that French immersion (FI) students enjoy significant linguistic, academic, and cognitive benefits. We organize our summary of the advantages of FI around these three themes, comparing students' proficiency in French and English across various FI programs, and…

The role of the subject matter teacher, the pedagogical and linguistic adjustments required, and the role of the language teacher in "sheltered" courses in which traditional subject matter is taught in a second language are discussed in the context of a University of Ottawa experiment. (MSE)

A review of the evolution of second-language immersion program testing reveals that the focus has shifted from listening and reading comprehension to productive skills of speaking and writing. Immersion students learn to speak and write well enough for communication but not well enough to be indistinguishable from native speakers. (MSE)

Describes and assesses the general direction of French immersion research and establishes the need for more qualitative and theoretical approaches to research in this field. The areas of particular interest include (1)language learning environment; (2) children's language learning strategies; (3) classroom communication; (4) effective teaching…

Describes the birth of a French immersion program in a Newfoundland primary school, attended by French-speaking, English-speaking, monolingual, and bilingual students. It is designed especially for the French-speaking minority in danger of losing its native language and culture to assimilation processes. (AM)

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…

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

Discusses the increased demand for French immersion teachers, the concomitant demand for improved teacher education programs, and the joint efforts of the University of Manitoba's faculty of education and French department to create a course for senior students and practicing teachers to meet these needs. (MSE)

Trends and issues in immersion programs are discussed, including the rationale behind implementation of immersion programs and attitudinal and academic differences between immersion and non-immersion students. The need for more documentation on the dynamics of the immersion classroom and the need for more cultural experiences are stressed. (MSE)

Describes immersion weekends sponsored by the University of Calgary. The discussion includes examples from actual weekends to describe the planning and implementation. A qualitative evaluation is also discussed. (Author/AMH)