Learning in Immersion Programs: On the Importance of Student Variables

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Instead of using conventional foreign language (L2) instruction, immersion programs deliver curricular content through the medium of an L2 (in most cases with exception of native language (L1) arts). During the first two stages of this project, we focused on the assessment of academic achievement in the L1, in the L2, and in mathematics as well as on the assessment of cognitive and motivational aspects. Using two cohorts in a longitudinal study, we compared English immersion students with conventionally in German (L1) instructed students at elementary school. The results of the two project stages did not reveal disadvantages for immersion students, but rather point at a positive impact of immersion education on students academic achievement (e.g., mathematics, reading fluency, memory performance). These findings persisted after we controlled for the superior preconditions of immersion students before schooling started. In addition, we found strong transfer effects from L2 reading skills on L1 reading skills. In a quasi-experimental study, immersion students also performed better in a knowledge test that was based upon a standardized teaching situation (aside from traditional instruction). In conclusion, we succeeded in replicating and complementing main findings from international research on immersion in Germany. To close this project, we intend to conduct a quantitative meta-analysis on all given studies concerning immersion education. This meta-analysis is supposed to integrate the hitherto existing results and to allow the determination of an average effect of immersion education on students variables considering moderating factors.