Study of the effects of a functional approach to grammar teaching on a sixth-grade French immersion class found that those subjects exposed to an experimental set of teaching materials outperformed control subjects at the end of eight weeks. There were no significant differences between the groups after three months. (Author/CB)

Presents a study of the relationships among error types, feedback types, and immediate learner repair in four French immersion classrooms at the elementary level. The database is drawn from transcripts of audiotape recordings of 13 French language-arts lessons and 14 subject-matter lessons totaling 18.3 hours and including 921 error sequences.…

Descriptive studies in four elementary school French immersion classrooms investigated the negotiation of form in classroom discourse. Four interactional moves that encourage peer- and self-repair and draw attention to non-target output were examined. Found that recasts, the most common form of corrective feedback, can not lead to peer- or…

Investigated specific patterns for a reactive approach to form-focused instruction: corrective feedback and its relationship to error types and immediate learner repair. Data is drawn from transcripts of audio recordings made in four French immersion classrooms at the elementary level, totaling 18.3 hours and including 921 error sequences.…

Variables affecting the effectiveness of immersion language programs are evaluated, including sociolinguistic context, attitudes, the structure of immersion grammars, and the learning processes of the children. (MSE)

This book describes Structured English Immersion (SEI) for English language learners (ELLs). Seven chapters focus on the following: (1) "Identification, Assessment, and Placement" (e.g., California's school districts implement SEI and proper placement of students); (2) "Listening Skills" (e.g., time on task, total physical…

In Australian two-way immersion programs approximately 20-40% of instruction takes place in the target language. While much has been written about such programs targeting French and German, little has been written about Japanese immersion programs. The aim of this research is to provide a better understanding of children's second language…

Qualitative analyses of teacher-student interaction recorded during subject-matter lessons in Grade 4 French immersion classrooms indicate that language form is often out of focus in immersion classroom discourse. Discusses pedagogical implications of research findings related to corrective feedback. (Author/VWL)

This rationale for the German immersion program of the Milwaukee public schools (grades K-5) sets forth general and specific program goals as well as criteria for evaluating communicative competence. A list of sample exercises for specific communicative acts (e.g., telling, informing, requesting) is included. Topics for oral and written…

Investigates the nature of cohesion, content, and grammar emergent in children's essays, with emphasis on understanding of cohesion and coherence. Conceptual definitions of these constructs are summarized into a picture-based narrative writing task for elicitation and scoring criteria for quantification. First and second graders from an immersion…

Discusses the methodological concepts of medium- and message-oriented communication and applies these concepts to conventional foreign language and bilingual content classrooms, with specific reference to English as a Second Language. Argues that the interplay between message- and medium-orientation is an important feature of both these…

A study investigated the relationship between the degree to which students in an elementary foreign language immersion program use appropriate grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary, and how many minutes per week teachers use direct instruction to teach these skills. Elementary foreign language teachers (n=53) were surveyed to (1) investigate…

The purpose of this manual, which accompanies a video program, is to provide general background information for foreign language teachers who are, or soon will be, teaching in total, partial, or two-way immersion classrooms. Part of a series of video programs, this manual highlights current theories, issues, and questions about second language…

This paper describes the experience of two children, native-speakers of Hebrew, in a language center in England. The language center provides a total immersion program in English for a multi-lingual population of children aged 5 to 12 years. The small-group and individualized instruction, the instructional materials and facilities, and the close…

First-language acquisition of Turkish 4- to 8-year-olds in a Dutch submersion environment in the Netherlands was studied. Investigation of the development of lexical, morphosyntactic, and pragmatic abilities and comparison with children in Turkey suggested that the acquisition of first-language skills by Turkish children in the Netherlands is…