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LEARNERS' EXPERIENCES OF IMMERSION EDUCATION: CASE STUDIES OF FRENCH AND CHINESE. Michele de Courcy. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters, 2002. Pp. vii + 163. $89.95 cloth, $35.95 paper.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2004

Vera Regan
Affiliation:
University College Dublin

Extract

This book is part of a fresh and lively series on bilingual education and bilingualism. It deals with immersion in general but adds its own evidence and contributes substantially to knowledge in the field. Its originality lies in its emphasis: Whereas most of the literature on immersion deals with outcomes, de Courcy focuses on the process, particularly from the perspective of the learner. The research methods are tailored to the research aims. Rather than providing quantitative data, the author emphasizes various types of qualitative data, such as taped interviews, videotapes, student journals, and the researchers' log books. Introspective accounts are central to the discussion, and the importance of an ethnographic approach is also stressed: Observation alone is not enough, and the learners are seen as informants. Another interesting aspect of the book is that, whereas much of the literature on immersion studies is on English and French, here we have much-needed evidence from another language group, Chinese. The research is carried out in Australia with late immersion learners.

Type
BOOK NOTICES
Copyright
2004 Cambridge University Press

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