Van Lier's [2004. "The Ecology and Semiotics of Language Learning: A Sociocultural Perspective." Boston: Kluwer Academy] concept of ecology of language learning is applicable to our focus on children's active engagement in bilingual preschool classroom activities, which are conducive to language learning. The aim of this study was to…

This study was designed to investigate the nature of activities in an immersion English class and a non-immersion English class in the mainland of China, and to find out the differences between these two types of class through data gained from observation and interviews. Spoken discourse analysis was used to analyze the data, where Engestrom's…

What is the role of the teacher in developing learner autonomy? The limited research in this area is seldom situated in theory and often based on self-reported data. This study is situated in sociocultural theory and draws on two constructs, the zone of proximal development and imitation, to explain the teacher's role in developing autonomy. The…

This paper explores L2 novices' ways of soliciting teacher attention, more specifically, their summonses. The data are based on detailed analyses of video recordings in a Swedish language immersion classroom. The analyses illuminate the lexical shape of summonses in conjunction with prosody, body posture, gestures, and classroom artefacts. As…

A variety of French language classroom activities are described, including a game to familiarize immersion students with Canada; exercises using songs; a teacher-student competitive vocabulary game; communicative activities; three games to practice verb conjugations, previously learned structures, and vocabulary; and a whole-language activity…

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

A French immersion program in Brazil took a group of adults to a mountain retreat for a weekend of intensive language use through fantasy scenarios. (MSE)

This curriculum unit is for use in an elementary school foreign language immersion program in Montgomery County, Maryland. The unit is geared toward the second grade science classroom. It includes instructional and performance objectives, vocabulary lists, optional language structure sections, illustrations, activities, evaluation suggestions, and…

This curriculum unit, developed by the Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland, was designed for use in the elementary level foreign language immersion program. It is geared toward the first grade science classroom. The unit includes instructional and performance objectives, necessary vocabulary lists, optional language structure sections,…

This curriculum unit, developed by the Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland, was designed for use in an elementary level foreign language immersion program. It is geared toward the sixth grade social studies classroom. The unit includes instructional and performance objectives, necessary vocabulary lists, optional language structure…

Focuses on research addressing how to integrate content and language teaching, with specific reference to studies conducted in French immersion classrooms. Findings indicate that teachers should structure activities to incorporate a focus on form into content teaching through teacher-led instruction and collaborative tasks with peers. (21…

This annotated bibliography of children's literature presents 74 books and stories that can be used in the classroom to introduce literature in French to children in fourth through sixth grades. The selected texts (51 titles in fiction and 23 titles in non-fiction) were chosen for their age-appropriate language and themes, as well as their…

A shift in instructional focus to student needs and interests spurred the development of a different approach to French second language program design in Alberta. A practical curriculum planning model is offered that is based on: (1) communicative and student-centered activities; (2) responsiveness to teacher needs; and (3) supporting planning for…

This book presents European perspectives on the means of structuring curricula that integrate content and language teaching, drawing on the experience of practitioners at a range of levels. It also provides details of the outcomes of such programs and describes the current and future challenges for wider scale adoption of content and language…

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…