Second Language Learning in School Settings: Lessons from Immersion

It is not my intention to review the findings of the considerable research on immersion-there are extensive and accessible reviews elsewhere (Genesee, 1987a; Lambert Swain & Lapkin, 1982). Rather, I examine the implications of some of the research findings from the immersion programs for second language learning in school settings in general. I hesitate to summarize even in general terms findings on immersion as a preliminary to my main discussion, but a brief summary is a useful starting point. The most striking and consistent finding from evaluation studies of immersion is that, when compared to carefully selected control students in regular English school programs, immersion students experience no deficits in English language development in the long-term as a result of their immersion in French. This has been observed for all forms of immersion-early, delayed, late, total, and partial-and for students with different learner characteristics, including students who are generally disadvantaged in school. Similarly, the academic development of theparticipating students is at par with comparable students receiving basic academic instruction through the native language. Finally, the participating students develop functional proficiency in French that surpasses that of students in all other forms of second language instruction in school settings where the learners have little or no contact with peers who are native speakers of the target language.