Current explanations for the development of immersion programs in relation to language reform in Canada were found to be inadequate and superficial. The lack of attention to the existence of different sociopolitical contexts has, furthermore, flawed the sociological interpretation of programs. A comparative case study and multi-method approach was therefore proposed to examine the historical development of programs in two provinces with very different sociolinguistic and sociopolitical contexts, Quebec and British Columbia. Comparative analysis revealed that both commonalities and differences could be identified in the development of immersion programs in these two provinces and that these have implications for the political and sociological analysis of programs. In both contexts, it was seen that the implementation and expansion of programs has required similar organizational adjustments. The relationship of programs to language reform is, however, very different In Quebec, programs represent a community response to the changing status of French and are only indirectly related to federal efforts to implement a national policy of official bilingualism. In British Columbia, programs were initiated by parents, but eventually became directly related to federal involvement in language education and to Ottawa's efforts to implement a national language policy. By providing support to the parent association "Canadian Parents for French", Ottawa found a constituency in English Canada willing to promote official bilingualism. "Canadian Parents for French" and federal funding have played a critical role in the development of immersion programs in British Columbia; whereas in Quebec, neither of these elements has been an important factor in the expansion of programs. Although the development of immersion programs in Quebec and British Columbia has been framed by divergent language policies, in both provinces, the development of immersion programs reflects the adjustment of the English speaking community to the enhanced status of French. Similar sociological patterns were found in how the Anglophone community has made this adjustment and in how schools have been called upon to respond to societal change.

Student attrition has always been a problem for French immersion programs, especially at the high school level. In response to a lack of current research, this study seeks to discover if the problem persists. It also examines how today's French immersion high schools are dealing with other problem areas identified in research done in the past. These areas include, among others, students' learning challenges, behavioural challenges, and difficulties with the French language. The study documents the attrition rates from 1990 to 2004 in three high schools in Manitoba that are French immersion centres. In an effort to understand why students remained or left the immersion programs, 35 teachers, 220 current students, and 18 former students who have left the program to attend English schools were surveyed. All three sample groups' perceptions of the program show that while many things that were considered problematic in the literature are no longer a concern, other issues continue to persist. Furthermore, the data show that male and female students tend to leave the French immersion program for different reasons. However, the common motive that instigates the decision to leave appears to be the perception that higher grades can be achieved in an English school. / xi, 161 leaves ; 29 cm.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2008. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

The thesis explores the possibilities for immersion in a First Nation small community whose language survival hinges on the action by the 5% fluent speakers. Curriculum planning is needed at a time when First Nations do not have the resources or experience in teaching their language as a second language and very limited experience with curriculum development and school administration. The author is familiar with the deep emotional desire for effective language programs but the communities cannot find an effective means for truly successful results. The occasional Native teacher searches for methods by learning linguistic strategies or modeling literate classroom lessons. Community leaders face surmounting obstacles while elders pass away with each crucial decade. These obstacles and constraints are not only due to social ills but also to the attempt at developing curriculum with models which do not origninate with the community, the culture, or the language itself. The thesis therefore attempts to find avenues for blending learning strategies of an oral culture and recognizing and validating the culture which embraces the cultural background to the language. The avenues for language revitalization involve ethnographic research which is seen as practical to the community if these are steps toward cultural development. The social issues level is considered as Native language speakers are often adversely effected due to schooling in residential schools. The thesis then concludes the specific needs for the Ditidaht context as concerns community process, as traditional protocol, and as the nature of an effective curriculum (received in generalized concepts from the community interviews). Other First Nation Community strategies are reviewed from many nations throughout Canada and the United States. The Canadian French immersion experience provides a preview into immersion evolution. The research is found necessary for any First Nation community in search of the crucial need for effective second-language curriculum focus. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

Current explanations for the development of immersion programs in relation to language reform in Canada were found to be inadequate and superficial. The lack of attention to the existence of different sociopolitical contexts has, furthermore, flawed the sociological interpretation of programs. A comparative case study and multi-method approach was therefore proposed to examine the historical development of programs in two provinces with very different sociolinguistic and sociopolitical contexts, Quebec and British Columbia. Comparative analysis revealed that both commonalities and differences could be identified in the development of immersion programs in these two provinces and that these have implications for the political and sociological analysis of programs. In both contexts, it was seen that the implementation and expansion of programs has required similar organizational adjustments. The relationship of programs to language reform is, however, very different In Quebec, programs represent a community response to the changing status of French and are only indirectly related to federal efforts to implement a national policy of official bilingualism. In British Columbia, programs were initiated by parents, but eventually became directly related to federal involvement in language education and to Ottawa's efforts to implement a national language policy. By providing support to the parent association "Canadian Parents for French", Ottawa found a constituency in English Canada willing to promote official bilingualism. "Canadian Parents for French" and federal funding have played a critical role in the development of immersion programs in British Columbia; whereas in Quebec, neither of these elements has been an important factor in the expansion of programs. Although the development of immersion programs in Quebec and British Columbia has been framed by divergent language policies, in both provinces, the development of immersion programs reflects the adjustment of the English speaking community to the enhanced status of French. Similar sociological patterns were found in how the Anglophone community has made this adjustment and in how schools have been called upon to respond to societal change. / Education, Faculty of / Graduate

There is a critical need for college students to receive an education that fosters global learning in preparation for life in an increasingly interdependent and interconnected world. Universities recognize this need and endeavor to provide a range of programs that target global knowledge and skills, and meet the needs of traditional and non-traditional students. Domestic foreign language immersion programs can contribute to student global learning and development by providing students with an opportunity to participate in a rich global learning experience in the U.S. While some researchers have investigated impacts of domestic foreign language immersion on language proficiency, few studies of other kinds of global learning outcomes are available, and research is needed to gain an understanding of program impacts and make improvements. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which participation in a domestic foreign language immersion program was perceived to influence global learning and development. The study used a mixed-methods design that incorporated as a key instrument a retrospective survey of former participants in a university-level domestic foreign language immersion program. Perspectives from short-term study abroad, foreign languages, transformative learning, and global citizenship informed the research. The study found that participants in a domestic foreign language immersion program perceived influence in all three domains of global development. The degree of perceived influence was similar in the three domains except in the area of social responsibility, which received a significantly lower rating. Finally, student characteristics, including age, language level, prior international or other intercultural experience, and on/off-campus residence were not associated with perceived program influence. A qualitative analysis helped explain these findings.

Figures from the 2010 Census indicate that there are 50.5 million Latinos (16% of the total population) living in the United States (US) today. From 2000 to 2010, the Latino population experienced a very rapid growth rate of 43%, which accounted for over half the total population growth. More and more Latino students are entering our public schools and face the reality that 62 years after the Brown V. Board of Education ruling to integrate schools and equalize educational opportunities, schools are more racially and economically segregated and more unequal than they were more than half a century ago. As a group, Latinos continue to struggle academically and there is a large academic achievement gap between Latino students and White students. Using the lens of Latino Critical race theory, this narrative study was an attempt to understand the educational experience of five Latino students in a two-way immersion program within a racialized public education system in which negative stereotypes, such as lack of intellectual abilities, could create a threatening environment hindering their academic success. This narrative inquiry study sought to understand how, if at all, Latino students in a fifth grade two-way immersion program experienced anxiety about the ways they believe to be perceived in the classroom and school settings by their teachers and other classmates. Finding of this study confirmed the relative success of two-way immersion programs educating Latino students and highlighted the urgent need to conduct more research in bilingual settings trying to understand the role stereotype threat might play in the educational experience of Latino students. The fact that Latino students were still lagging behind their native English-speaking counterparts in the TWI program is a reality that must be researched further to understand the lived experiences of Latino students in bilingual programs.

University of Macau / Faculty of Education

Research in the field of second language acquisition in the past five to ten years has focused on individual variation in language learning, and has examined such learner variables as learning styles, personality characteristics, learning strategies, and learner beliefs about the nature of language learning. Recently, research on individual learners has broadened to include a greater focus on the contexts of language learning and to explore the interactions between individual learners and the socio-cultural environment in investigations of these learner variables.This study has two purposes. The first is to investigate the language learning of novice level second language learners in a language and culture immersion program. The six college-age learners of Spanish who participated in an eight-week language and culture immersion program in Mexico are the focus of the case studies. The research focuses on five areas of learner variation: learner beliefs and philosophies about the nature of language learning, approaches to vocabulary learning, classroom behaviors, speaking for communication, and cultural adjustment.The second purpose of the study is to explore the use of multiple approaches to research on individual variation. The research framework for the study is ethnographic and the study employs a multi-methodological approach to data collection over an extended period of time in several language learning contexts. The research procedures used in the studyinclude participant observation, interviews, language learning journals, questionnaires, retrospective analysis of videotaped clips, and standardized instruments such as the Modern Language Aptitude Test, the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview. / Department of English

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