Immersion in CanadaImmersion in Canada

By: Lisa Keiderling, Janine PützBy: Lisa Keiderling, Janine PützCourse: English in the United States and CanadaCourse: English in the United States and Canada

Tutor: Prof. Dr. HickeyTutor: Prof. Dr. HickeySS 06SS 06

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OverviewOverview

1.1. IntroductionIntroduction

2.2. Definition of ImmersionDefinition of Immersion

3.3. History of Immersion EducationHistory of Immersion Education

4.4. SuitabilitySuitability

5.5. Pros and Cons of ImmersionPros and Cons of Immersion

6.6. Public support for ImmersionPublic support for Immersion

7.7. ConclusionConclusion

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IntroductionIntroduction

Certain services and communications have to Certain services and communications have to be available in English and Frenchbe available in English and French

Official Languages Act in 1969Official Languages Act in 1969 Official languages in Canada are English and Official languages in Canada are English and

FrenchFrench Nunavut and Northwest Territories have Nunavut and Northwest Territories have

additional official languages (e.g. indigenous additional official languages (e.g. indigenous tongues)tongues)

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Language DistributionLanguage Distribution

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Current linguistic situation in CanadaCurrent linguistic situation in Canada

30 million citizens of Canada 30 million citizens of Canada 67% native English speakers 67% native English speakers 26% native French speakers 26% native French speakers 7% native speakers of neither English nor French7% native speakers of neither English nor French

English 17,352,315English 17,352,315 French 6,703,325French 6,703,325 Chinese 853,745Chinese 853,745 Italian 469,485Italian 469,485 German 438,080German 438,080 Punjabi 271,220Punjabi 271,220

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Definition of ImmersionDefinition of Immersion

Uses the second language as the teaching and learning language

Second language is also used in other classes like mathematics, history, and geography

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Goals of ImmersionGoals of Immersion

Native-like listening, speaking, reading and Native-like listening, speaking, reading and writing skills of a second languagewriting skills of a second language

To acquire same language skills in the native To acquire same language skills in the native language as in regular schoolslanguage as in regular schools

To gain understanding and appreciation of the To gain understanding and appreciation of the other cultureother culture

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Total/Partial ImmersionTotal/Partial Immersion

Total Immersion:Total Immersion: Students are taught 100% in the foreign language Students are taught 100% in the foreign language

during the first gradesduring the first grades

Partial Immersion:Partial Immersion: Students are taught half of the day in the foreign Students are taught half of the day in the foreign

language, the other half in their mother tongue language, the other half in their mother tongue (alternating)(alternating)

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Early ImmersionEarly Immersion

Starts at an early age, usually Kindergarten or Grade One

Students come from families with English as a First Language

Often employs total immersion Students are taught 100% of their classes for the first

3 or 4 grades in French Pensum taught in French gradually decreases Students can take part in non-immersion classes in

Junior and Senior High School

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Middle ImmersionMiddle Immersion

Starts in grade 3 or 4Starts in grade 3 or 4 Instruction language is the foreign language Instruction language is the foreign language

for about two gradesfor about two grades After two grades native language is introducedAfter two grades native language is introduced Use of native language increases graduallyUse of native language increases gradually In grade 5 or 6 Middle Immersion students In grade 5 or 6 Middle Immersion students

blend with Early Immersion studentsblend with Early Immersion students

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Late Immersion (I)Late Immersion (I)

Begins around entering Junior High School (grade 6 or 7)

Is not as intensive as Early/Middle Immersion and deemed as not as effective.

Completely fulfills the qualifications for the acquirement of a bilingual status at the end of the program concerning reading and writing

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Late Immersion (II)Late Immersion (II)

Differs from Early Immersion in intensity, because the students take only about 75% of their classes in French

Classes such as Family Studies/ Technology Education, and Physical Education, which are taught in English are usually the courses that make up the other 25%

Often slight deficiencies in speaking FrenchOften slight deficiencies in speaking French

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History of Immersion EducationHistory of Immersion Education

Impulse of Anglophone parents in MontrealImpulse of Anglophone parents in Montreal Theory by Wilder PenfieldTheory by Wilder Penfield ““Experimental immersion kindergarten” in Experimental immersion kindergarten” in

1965 in St Lambert 1965 in St Lambert Success was immenseSuccess was immense

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SuitabilitySuitability

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of immersion In order to evaluate the effectiveness of immersion for all students, special needs students have been for all students, special needs students have been examinedexamined

Problems of those students were:Problems of those students were: low level of academic abilitylow level of academic ability low level of native language abilitylow level of native language ability low socio-economic backgroundlow socio-economic background

They usually show better results than comparable at-They usually show better results than comparable at-risk students, who have received conventional L2 risk students, who have received conventional L2 educationeducation

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Pros and Cons of ImmersionPros and Cons of Immersion

Supports bilingualismSupports bilingualism Helps the students in Helps the students in

becoming more eligible for becoming more eligible for future jobsfuture jobs

Helps to promote French Helps to promote French culture and makes it easier culture and makes it easier for English-speaking for English-speaking students to live in French-students to live in French-speaking communitiesspeaking communities

The idea of The idea of bilingualism is bilingualism is good, but it does good, but it does not necessarily not necessarily work with work with immersionimmersion

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Pros and Cons of ImmersionPros and Cons of Immersion

Results of immersion Results of immersion students in standardized students in standardized and non-standardized and non-standardized English language English language proficiency tests taken proficiency tests taken in higher classes were in higher classes were equal or even better equal or even better than those of the than those of the control groupscontrol groups

Fluency and Fluency and sophisticated literary sophisticated literary creativity cannot be creativity cannot be tested in those tested in those standardized testsstandardized tests

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Pros and Cons of ImmersionPros and Cons of Immersion

Results of immersion Results of immersion students in students in standardized and non-standardized and non-standardized English standardized English language proficiency language proficiency tests taken in higher tests taken in higher classes were equal or classes were equal or even better than those even better than those of the control groupsof the control groups

Experience with immersion Experience with immersion graduates showed more graduates showed more incidents of false starts, incidents of false starts, hesitation pauses, ‘uhs’, hesitation pauses, ‘uhs’, and even some definitely and even some definitely non-English use of wordsnon-English use of words

Hammerly: This spoken Hammerly: This spoken English is a problem English is a problem → → necessity to address in necessity to address in researchresearch

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Pros and Cons of ImmersionPros and Cons of Immersion

Reading and listening Reading and listening comprehension in comprehension in French tested with early French tested with early and late immersion and late immersion students in grade eight students in grade eight are on native-like level are on native-like level (early total immersion) (early total immersion) or only slightly worse or only slightly worse (early partial (early partial immersion)immersion)

Results of late Results of late immersion students immersion students were significantly lowerwere significantly lower

Tests for reading and Tests for reading and listening comprehension listening comprehension skills are multiple skills are multiple choice tests and do not choice tests and do not explore all the linguistic explore all the linguistic nuances to which native nuances to which native French speakers are French speakers are sensitivesensitive

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Public support for ImmersionPublic support for Immersion

Federal bilingualism policies are unnecessary and Federal bilingualism policies are unnecessary and excessive government regulationexcessive government regulation

In Quebec French-nationalists resent the bilingualism In Quebec French-nationalists resent the bilingualism policies policies

Support for bilingualism appears to be strongest in Support for bilingualism appears to be strongest in the area known as the Bilingual belt the area known as the Bilingual belt

Groups such as the Alliance for the Preservation of Groups such as the Alliance for the Preservation of English in Canada, and books such as Bilingual English in Canada, and books such as Bilingual Today, French Tomorrow, have advocated the end of Today, French Tomorrow, have advocated the end of official bilingualismofficial bilingualism

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ConclusionConclusion

Highly recommended by many persons of Highly recommended by many persons of public lifepublic life

Nevertheless criticized by high-donated Nevertheless criticized by high-donated scientistsscientists

Immersion is a good idea which not always Immersion is a good idea which not always works as intendedworks as intended

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ReferencesReferences Hammerly, Hector. An Integrated Theory of Language Hammerly, Hector. An Integrated Theory of Language

Teaching and its Practical Consequences. Blaine: Second Teaching and its Practical Consequences. Blaine: Second Language Publications: 1985 Language Publications: 1985

Hammerly, Hector. French Immersion: Myths and Reality. Hammerly, Hector. French Immersion: Myths and Reality. Calgary:Detselig Enterprises Limited: 1989 Calgary:Detselig Enterprises Limited: 1989

Hammerly, Hector. Fluency and Accuracy. Clevedon: Hammerly, Hector. Fluency and Accuracy. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters LTD, 1991 Multilingual Matters LTD, 1991

Swain, Merrill and Sharon Lapkin. Evaluation Bilingual Swain, Merrill and Sharon Lapkin. Evaluation Bilingual Education: A Canadian Case Study. Clevedon: Short Run Education: A Canadian Case Study. Clevedon: Short Run Press LTD, 1985.Press LTD, 1985.

http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~z06gkd/Immersion.htmhttp://www.ucs.mun.ca/~z06gkd/Immersion.htm http://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.hesshttp://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.hess http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilingualism_in_Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilingualism_in_Canada