What Parents Want To Know about Foreign Language Immersion Programs. ERIC Digest.

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  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics, 4646 40th Street NW, Washington, DC 20016. Tel: 800-276-9834 (Toll Free). For full text: http://www.cal.org/ericcll/DIGEST.
    • Peer Reviewed:
      N
    • Source:
      4
    • Sponsoring Agency:
      Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC.
    • Intended Audience:
      Parents
    • Subject Terms:
      Academic Achievement; Immersion Programs; Language Proficiency; Literacy; Parent Participation; Second Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; Teaching Methods
    • Abstract:
      Modeled after the pioneering French immersion programs developed in Canada in the 1960s, foreign language immersion programs in the United States are designed to enrich the education of native-English-speaking students by teaching them all of their academic subjects in a second language. The goal is for students to become proficient in the second language and develop increased cultural awareness while reaching a high level of academic achievement. Students develop proficiency in the second language by hearing and using it to learn all of their school subjects rather than by studying the language itself. Parents who are considering an immersion program for their child usually have many questions. This digest provides introductory responses to some of the questions most commonly posed by parents such as the following: What is a foreign language immersion program and how does it work? How will learning everything in a second language affect my child's English language and literacy development? Will my child become proficient in the second language? How long will that take? Is immersion an appropriate choice for all children? What can I do to support my child's immersion experience if I don't speak the second language? Immersion education offers an exciting opportunity for students to reach high levels of academic achievement and to acquire strong proficiency in English and another language. Parents who are interested in immersion for their children should become as well informed as possible about this program model. (Author/VWL)
    • Publication Date:
      2004
    • Accession Number:
      ED482493