A Sociolinguistic Perspective on Second Language Use in Immersion Classrooms

Abstract

This paper cites observational and interview evidence indicating that immersion students in the U.S. and Canada increasingly avoid using their second language in peer‐peer interactions as they move into higher primary grade levels. Systematic research is called for to explore this reported phenomenon. It is suggested that the phenomenon is actually predictable if one takes a sociolinguistic perspective on immersion classrooms, viewing them as speech communities that become increasingly diglossic over time. The paper ends with a summary of discussions with immersion teachers about possible implications for teaching in immersion settings.