A profile of the speech of French immersion students of grades I, II and III in Newfoundland and Labrador

• Main Author: Noonan, Marguerite
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 1990
• Subjects: Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/4983/; https://research.library.mun.ca/4983/1/Noonan_Marguerite.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/4983/3/Noonan_Marguerite.pdf

The purpose of this study was to describe the speech of primary level French immersion (FI) students in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador with a view to developing language descriptions which could be used as a basis for evaluation. The description of FI speech which was the objective of this study, constitutes a framework through which to more realistically examine the oral second language (L₂) of FI primary level students than the frequently used native-speaker criterion against which these students often measure somewhat poorly. -- The sample consisted of fifteen students, five from each of grades I, II and III. They were interviewed and the speech was scripted and then organized into speech profiles based on grade levels. -- In addition to this data nine teachers, three from each of grades I, II and III, were interviewed. Charts based on the teacher descriptions were then produced. The charts were organized based on grade levels. This data was applied as a basis on which to verify that the profiles established from the student data were reflective of the speech of the students in the primary FI grades in this province. -- The student profiles indicate that, while there is error in that speech, in most areas of the L₂ there is evidence of real development and that that development can be indicated by the application of descriptors loosely representative of a given level of primary grade FI speech.