Rethinking second language instruction

In reading an article called "Rethinking monolingual instructional strategies in multilingual classrooms" (Cummins, 2007), I have started to reflect on the structure of the French Immersion classroom and the principles that it follows. Typically, the French Immersion classroom is structured to focus on the target language exclusively (being French in this case) with little reference to our students first language. The article discusses how this model isn't necessarily always the optimal way to learn language and is actually inhibiting our students from being able to develop other necessary skills, like making connections between languages and using previous knowledge to make connections. This is reflected in the article when it states, "Prior knowledge, skills, beliefs and concepts significantly influence what learners notice about their environment and how they organize and interpret their observations. Prior knowledge refers not just to information or skills previously acquired in a transmission-oriented instructional sequence but to the totality of the experiences that have shaped the learner’s identity and cognitive functioning." (Cummins, 2007. p 232). 
This made me think about the importance of having students able to make connections to their personal previous experiences and prior knowledge in learning in any aspect, including learning a language. As French Immersion teachers, we often do feel pressure to give students as much exposure to the target language as possible, and in doing so, we discourage any use of other language. Although I see the value of language, I also value the importance of acknowledging students identity, acquired skills and past experiences. Language learning is more than just becoming proficient in communicating in a language. It also provides students with skills in making connections, understanding a language system and understanding culture. The article also supports this idea when it states, "In concrete terms, what this principle means is that in, for example, a French immersion program in Canada, instruction that develops French reading and writing skills is not just developing French skills, it is also developing a deeper conceptual and linguistic proficiency that is strongly related to the development of literacy in the majority language (English)" (Cummins, 2007. p 232).
This quote also supports the concept of language learning skills transfer from the target learning language to the student's first language, meaning that students are making connections between the two and that it isn't required to have them strictly taught separately. There seems to be benefit from encouraging students to make connections rather than discouraging the use of other languages other than the target language, especially for early learners like the Kindergarteners that I teach with no previous exposure to the target language. 
This concept is nicely summarized in the quote: "L1 is not the enemy in promoting high levels of L2 proficiency; rather, when students’ L1 is invoked as a cognitive and linguistic resource through bilingual instructional strategies, it can function as a stepping stone to scaffold more accomplished performance in the L2." (Cummins, 2007. p 233). Here, the students' first language is referred to as L1 and the target language is referred to as L2. I'm interested in this idea of allowing students to use their first language to scaffold language proficiency in the target language and finding ways to use it as a tool rather than a distraction or setback.