Gifted and Nongifted Students’ Reasons for Leaving French-Immersion Programs

Abstract

This study investigated gifted and nongifted students’ reasons for dropping out of second-language immersion programs, in this instance, in French. In contrast to some earlier findings, gifted students were less likely to withdraw from French-immersion programs than nongifted students. The gifled students who left French immersion were more likely to switch into enriched or accelerated programs. The nongified were more likely to switch into regular programs taught in English. While immersion provides effective second-language teaching and is acknowledged as more challenging or difficult than the regular English program, it appears to provide insufficient opportunity for success and positive feedback to average-ability students, and it does not provide the needed challenge commensurate with identified giftedness.