French immersion (FI) programs in Canada have historically served predominantly Canadian-born, English-speaking students and families in their endeavour to learn both of the country's official languages, French and English. However, FI programs are becoming increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse as a result of increased global…

Over a three-year collaborative partnership involving university researchers, government curriculum specialists, and school division teams and educators, this post-qualitative study has engaged a diffractive methodology to research pedagogical change in relationship to a renewed provincial curriculum framework in English Language Arts (ELA). In…

Using critical interpretive procedures, this synthesis reviews qualitative and quantitative empirical studies (N = 181) published between 2000 and 2017 in the Canadian French as a Second Language (FSL) K-12 context. This study examines the thematic focus of findings relevant to key stakeholders (i.e., students, teachers, teacher candidates,…

Translanguaging practices come into play in social interactions between bilinguals when they are making use of all their shared linguistic resources and blending their languages in natural ways. Stemming from these practices is translanguaging pedagogy, which is designed so that students in school-based additive bilingual programs can benefit from…

This article concerns the contribution that feedback makes to valid classroom assessment of the writing of young learners (YLs), defined here as approximately 9-13 years old. It shows that a scale of descriptors adapted from the "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages" (CEFR; Council of Europe, 2001) can play a central role…

A distinction should be made between movements, which spontaneously influence the course of language teaching, and projects designed to effect change or deal with specific issues or problems by research methods. A Canadian professional association has proposed a major national project on core French instruction. (MSE)

Reports results of a survey of British Columbia elementary, secondary, and adult second language reading teachers, including teachers of English as a second language. The survey focused on their procedures, practices, and instructional materials. The discussion notes their use of basal readers and oral reading by native English speakers. (MSE)

An annotated bibliography lists and indexes 52 recent publications on English and French second language instruction for all levels. Both professional publications and curriculum materials are included. Items are indexed by language, type, and publisher. (MSE)

A study investigated the ability of socially handicapped Israeli students to determine a word's meaning from its linguistic context. The results and their implications for second language instruction are examined in light of current theories of context. (MSE)

Presents the 1979 evaluation of the Peel County (Ontario) late immersion French program, in the context of some current issues in second language education in Canada. These include the comparative effectiveness of early and late immersion, the importance of intense exposure, and total accumulated hours of instruction. (Author/AMH)

Presents the results of a survey that endeavored to determine the extent to which Canadian schools were meeting the needs of non-English-speaking students. The discussion focuses on: (1) existing programs; (2) ESL classrooms in 15 school systems, and (3) models and personnel in five British Columbia school systems. (Author/AMH)

A plea is made for interprovincial cooperation in renewing the French core curriculum by widening its scope so that it becomes a viable alternative to the popular immersion programs. A multidimensional language curriculum consisting of four syllabi (language, culture, communicative activities, and general language education) is outlined.…

It does not appear that bilingual (ethnic/official language) schools in the public sector will replace private ethnic schools. The latter often emphasize religious training and conduct much instruction in the community's native dialect, which most school boards would avoid, despite government and public support for bilingual/bicultural programs as…

Focuses on the importance of vocabulary knowledge as fundamental to proficiency in a second language (L2). The article notes that each of the studies in this issue examines L2 vocabulary learning from a particular angle, including lexical progress, learning strategies, context effect, the role of learner factors such as age and first language…

Offers a close analysis of how English is presented and taught in state-mandated vernacular- and English-medium textbooks used in Grades K-12 in Gujarat, India. Argues that the divergent English instruction as presented in the textbooks contribute to producing two different cultural models regarding being "literate in English."…