FRENCH IMMERSION AND SCHOOL BOARDS: ISSUES AND EFFECTS Toronto, Canadian Education Association, c1983. Distributed by CEA, 252 Bloor St. W., Toronto, ON, M5S 1V5. 44pp, paper, $4.00. ISBN 0-919078-85-0. Professional. Reviewed by Kenneth A. Elliott. Volume 12 Number 1 1984 January This summary report is the result of a study conducted by the Canadian Education Association (CEA) on the effects of French immersion on school boards and on regular French core programs. The project began in February, 1983 when the CEA sent out 155 questionnaires to school boards across Canada. In the survey of twenty-three questions, the emphasis was on the main issues: staffing, budgets, curriculum, services, and public relations. It was also noted that for the first time in the 1981-82 academic years there was an immersion program offered in every province at the elementary level. Research conducted in several provinces has confirmed that the most effective way of becoming fluent in a second language is by an early total immersion program. The report states that roughly 79,000 Canadian students are in immersion at the present time. The text itself makes for easy and rapid reading. For the benefit of the reader, a complete list of the school boards involved in the research is provided. In addition, an excellent selection of books, journals, and reports pertaining to the topic is included in the bibliography. Two tables list the number of students by province who are enrolled in immersion programs. Anyone interested in immersion studies in Canada should be familiar with the contents of this well-documented research. Available in French as La question de L'immersion: des commissions scolaires relèvent le gant. Kenneth A. Elliott, Laval Catholic H. S., Chomedey, QB