"This book presents a unique collection of research studies on French Immersion conducted from the authors' base as a research team in British Columbia, Canada. It serves as an important resource for educators and policymakers interested in the impact of immersion on educational policy, student outcomes, second language curriculum, and teacher education." "Section I documents the authors' experiences in developing a systematic approach to evaluation and assessment of French immersion programs. Section II includes studies on important curricular and instructional considerations for immersion education, and Section III addresses teacher education and professional development, including in-depth case studies of immersion teacher education programs and immersion teachers' perspectives on their role and needs for support and improvement. A final chapter contains concluding comments and future directions for immersion programs." "Immersion has grown significantly not only in Canada but also worldwide. This collection of research studies will be informative to those involved in intensive second language education internationally."--BOOK JACKET.