Structured immersion, or transfer instruction, is proposed as a bridging program between English as a second language or bilingual programs and the all-English medium classroom. The theoretical background underlying the transfer of knowledge and skills from a child's first language to English is reviewed. Based on the assumption that learners will acquire a second language if they receive comprehensible input in it, curriculum guidelines are suggested for teaching limited English proficient children the functional English they will need for different areas of the curriculum. A model for transfer instruction designed to help children transfer to English the concepts and skills they have acquired in their first language is described. Finally, applications of the transfer instruction curriculum model to content subjects and to the teaching of study skills and learning strategies are discussed, and suggestions for simplification of instructional materials are presented. (AMH)