Why Choose French Immersion?
Canada's French immersion program has attracted positive attention from many
countries around the globe, particularly Finland, Sweden, Japan, Australia and
the United States. These countries have created their own immersion programs
based on the Canadian model. Within Canada, the immersion model is now
being adapted to re-introduce native languages in First Nations communities.
French immersion significantly improves a child’s command of the French
language with no detriment to English language skills. While Core French
students study French for forty minutes a day, immersion students can spend up
to 260 minutes a day interacting in French. French immersion is one of the most
effective ways for your child to become bilingual.
French immersion was designed to provide non-Francophone children with an
opportunity to become fluent in the French language. The first program began in
1968 with a small group of Anglophone parents in St. Lambert, Quebec, who
wanted their children to be fluent in both English and French. Today, over
315,000 Canadian students are enrolled in French immersion programs, with
115,000 of those students in Ontario. The majority of these students come from
families where French isn’t spoken at home.
Research has demonstrated that students in French Immersion programs draw
the following benefits:
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Develop their listening skills, focus and concentration;
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Learn organization, self-discipline and resourcefulness;
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Increase cognitive abilities to understand complex and abstract concepts;
•
Enhance their ability to communicate in their first language;
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Acquire a third or fourth language much easier;
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Strengthen their problem-solving skills;
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Learn tolerance, insight and understanding of other cultures.
This program opens many academic, cultural and career options for children
living in a global economy. Some areas where French is an asset includes
tourism, the diplomatic service, politics, teaching, research, marketing and the
civil service. Today, 30 percent of all job postings for federal public service jobs
require the applicant to be fluent in both English and French.
Bilingualism is increasingly viewed as an asset that enables greater mobility.
There are a number of Canadians running large international organizations
across the world. The fact that they come from a bilingual country makes them
more suited to understand and handle the various cultural sensitivities at play in
the global economy.
Many parents who are thinking about enrolling their child in French immersion
commonly ask “how can I help my child with their homework if I can’t speak
French?” There are a number of steps you can take as a parent such as:
•
Communicate regularly with the teacher;
•
Read to your child in English or your mother tongue;
•
Provide access to verb books, visual dictionaries and online resources;
•
Provide access to French media such as books, videos and DVDs, music,
TV, radio and the Internet;
•
Provide encouragement and support for their academic efforts;
If you would like to enrol your child in French immersion, contact your local
school board to see what type of French immersion program is offered. School
boards offer different immersion programs that begin at different grade levels.
Immersion programs share one common trait: it is one of the most effective ways
for your child to become bilingual.
If you have any questions about French immersion, please contact
Canadian Parents for French (Ontario) at 905-366-1012, 1-800-667-0594 or
visit our website at www.cpfont.on.ca.
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