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.