A study compared the foreign language proficiency levels and language and cultural attitudes of students involved in two kinds of elementary school Spanish language programs: immersion and Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES). The study also investigated the variation in achievement among children in the same program. Fifth and sixth…

A follow-up study of a cross-cultural program bringing together French Canadians and native-English-speaking students of French found that fourth, fifth, and sixth grade Anglophone students gained in French language proficiency and in friendships with Francophone peers outside of school. (MSE)

A longitudinal study assessed the progress of 271 students of English as a Second Language (ESL) who had entered Project SEEK at Brooklyn College (New York) in the fall of 1985. The goals of the study were to identify factors predicting success or failure in academic courses, and to study attitudes of the students toward their second language and…

Reviews available research on the effects of school-sponsored ethnic language programs on students' attitudes toward the ethnic language, their own ethnic group, and themselves. Studies indicate a generally positive effect of programs on attitudes, including attitudes toward speakers of other languages and other ethnic groups. Discusses findings…

A study of 215 Temple University (Pennsylvania) students investigated patterns in achievement (as measured by course level and grade), language attitudes, attitudes toward and acquaintance with Spanish speakers, and foreign travel experience. Results support previous studies and suggest that the relationship between attitudes and foreign-language…

A South African project investigated effective methods of English language instruction for educationally disadvantaged black gold mine workers. Four instructors taught eight 3-week intensive classes, four by traditional language teaching methods and four by methods used at the Institute for Language Teaching of the University of Stellenbosch…

A statewide Indiana study designed to pilot selected learning outcomes in foreign language programs is reported. It investigated the usefulness of the state's "Guide to Proficiency-Based Instruction in Modern Foreign Languages for Indiana Schools." The report outlines the project's background, the need for proficiency-based goals, the…

This report describes an experimental intensive core French program for grades 5 and 6 at Churchill Alternative School in Ottawa (Canada). The aim was to improve the oral French skills of core French students by providing a period of intensive exposure to French and by increasing the total number of hours in French during one program year from 120…

The annotated bibliography of research on Canadian core French programs, in which French is taught as a regular subject in English-language schools, provides a comprehensive summary of empirical research since 1970. It includes research reports from school boards, reports of government-funded research, unpublished theses, published books, and…