ABSTRACT
Many studies have suggested (see Chapters 10 and 11) that bilingualism can be established successfully without detrimental effects to the child’s linguistic or personal development. Similarly, a generally positive impression emerges from most research into bilingualism and immersion education, carried out for instance in Canada, in Wales and more recently in Catalonia. In immersion programmes involving initial instruction (usually of majority children) in the L2, high levels of achievement after some years, at no cost to the L1, have been reported (e.g. Lambert and Tucker 1972). There is even some evidence that L1 skills may become enhanced by the experience (see below).
