During the 2013-2014 school year, a charter school in Central Florida (which will be given the pseudonym "The Unity School") known for its practice of full inclusion launched an unconventional project. The Unity School, which serves children from preschool through grade five, began offering foreign language to all pre-kindergarten…

Describes immersion education as practiced in Canada, outlining immersion programs' background, structure, methodology, and outcomes. Suggests that, to achieve the outcomes of immersion education developed for majority language groups, some minority language groups may require programs beginning in the first language and continuing in both the…

This teacher's guide to the Milwaukee Public Schools' Multi-Language School (foreign language immersion program) begins with a brief general description and rationale of the program. Previous experience with immersion programs at other schools is cited to answer the question, "What effect does a second language 'immersion' program have on…

A discussion of French foreign language instruction in the elementary schools (FLES) in the United States looks at the rationale behind and proliferation of FLES programs and the diversity of program models, including exploratory, traditional second language, and immersion. (MSE)

This is an account of the first two years' operation of a national experiment in language instruction in England, jointly sponsored by the Schools Council and the Nuffield Foundation for teaching French in primary schools. The report discusses: (1) origins of the experiment, (2) planning the pilot project, (3) "Why French?," (4) the…

Describes a regional effort in Northern California to provide high quality French instruction for kindergarten through sixth grade in cooperation with the public schools. The role of the National French Contest as motivation and as a learning experience for the students is also discussed. (MSE)

The results of an evaluation of a New Brunswick elementary school immersion program show that native speakers of English do not achieve the same proficiency in French language skills as they do in English. This is due to their limited exposure to native French speaking models outside the classroom. (MSE)

This primary "exposure package" is intended for the use of grade 3 teachers of English-speaking children who received French-as-a-Second-Language instruction in a non-immersion context. The aims of this French program are to: (1) expose the child to the French language, (2) foster a positive attitude toward French, and (3) develop…

Examples of four kinds of elementary school programs in second language instruction are described: eight Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES) programs, one Foreign Language Experience or Foreign Language Exploration (FLEX) program, one partial immersion program, and one total immersion program. An introductory section provides…

In addition to presenting detailed guidelines for foreign language curriculum development in Georgia public schools, this guide includes illustrations of a variety of classroom approaches to meeting course goals. The overall rationale for the guide is to bring programs and curricula at all levels in line with both societal needs for…

Results of a February 1983 survey of 96 Canadian school boards concerning French immersion instruction enrollments and program administration are presented. The survey revealed that 69 boards offered French immersion instruction (61 had early immersion, with an elementary level program in every province), 14 offered bilingual education, 23 offered…

A study investigated the elementary school programs in French as a second language in Louisiana, Quebec (Canada), and New Brunswick (Canada). The objective was to learn about the programs' underlying goals and philosophies, examine the teaching materials used at this level, evaluate the teaching situation, and survey teachers for their…

The curriculum guide for French second language programs (FSL) in the State of Louisiana, presented in French with some English introduction, outlines the objectives and design of newly mandated FSL instruction in grades four through six. It was constructed for use with any method or combination of methods of instruction in school systems having…

A 4-day inservice teacher workshop, held so that teachers from a number of countries could share ideas and experiences about foreign language teaching at the elementary school level, is described. Speeches and events of each day are summarized briefly, and plenary sessions are chronicled in somewhat more detail. The latter include: a description…

A report on second language instruction in elementary schools outlines the state of the art and makes policy and program and offers recommendations. An introductory section discusses the rationale for foreign language instruction at all levels and particularly in elementary schools, emphasizing the value of early and prolonged exposure to language…