This paper examines the persistent, growing popularity of Canadian French immersion (FI) programmes. Critics charge that FI programmes are elitist, diverting already limited resources from other areas of the education system. We begin with a brief overview of the benefits of FI in Canada and enrolment trends. Next, sources of FI-related inequality…

In 2011, the Taiwanese Government began a campaign to encourage new immigrants to teach their native languages (heritage languages) to their children. However, these heritage languages are seldom used in cross-national families and the effectiveness of formal heritage language courses in Taiwan has yet to be explored. The present study examines…

Study of native language maintenance of 10- and 11-year-old children of Lebanese immigrants in Australia found that most could speak but not read or write Lebanese. Lebanese competence depended on subjects' parents' literacy level and interest in language quality, and actual use reflected children's opportunities or necessity to speak Lebanese.…