Language Proficiency, Biliteracy and French Immersion
Year: 1983
Type: article
Abstract: The impact of Canadian French immersion research on theoretical conceptions of bilingualism and biliteracy is reviewed and four major issues on which immersion research has had a significant impact are identified. These are: (1) the effects of bilingualism on children's cognitive and academic development; (2) the effects of intensity of school exposure to the second language (L2) on children's L1 and L2 development; (3) the "optimal age" issue in L2 learning; and (4) the suitability of a home-school language switch for all children. Contrary to many earlier assumptions, Canadian immersion research findings suggest that: (1) cognitive advantages may accrue to children who develop high levels of bilingual skills; (2) amount of instructional time through the minority language is generally related to achievement in that language but unrelated to achievement in the majority language; (3) older learners make more rapid progress than younger learners in acquiring L2 cognitive and academic skills; and (4) there is no evidence that immersion programs are unsuitable for any identifiable category of students. These findings are interpreted in the light of a theoretical framework for examining the relationships between language proficiency, bilingualism and academic achievement.
DOI: 10.2307/1494722
Author: Jim Cummins
Language: English
Subfield: Linguistics and Language
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W152162312