French Immersion Parent Information Full Day Kindergarten French Immersion Parent Information January 2017 Vision Achieving Excellence in Catholic Education through Learning, Leadership and Service

Embarking on a pathway towards becoming bilingual French Immersion Core French Provides English and French instruction in various subjects Immerses students in language and cultural experiences Provides opportunities to develop enhanced proficiency in French Is offered daily as part of the regular English program Provides valuable educational experience and builds intercultural understanding Provides opportunities to develop functional communication skills in French In PVNC there are two pathways to bilingualism. Other boards may offer extended French which means that students begin in grade 4, 5 or 7 to have French as the language of instruction for 50% of their day.

French Immersion: a Brief History The French Immersion Program began in St. Lambert, Québec (a suburb of Montréal) in the early 1960’s. The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board has offered an Early French Immersion program since 1981.

French Immersion: Some Facts Students may begin in French Immersion in Year 1 or Year 2 of Full Day Kindergarten and continue through to grade 12. In Ontario 10.5% of all students are in French Immersion programs. (CPF – 2014-15 data) In PVNCCDSB approx. 17% of all elementary students are in the French Immersion program French Immersion is an optional program while Core French (which students who are not in immersion take from Grades 4 to 9) is compulsory. The Board Administrative Procedure of the French Immersion Policy (#821) states that students can enter French Immersion in year 1 or year 2 of the FDK. This means that students may start Year 1 FDK in English and switch to French immersion in Year 2. It also means that even if they do not go to Year 1 of FDK, they can still join French Immersion when they start FDK in what would be their year 2 (according to their age).

French Immersion: Why? It is one path to bilingualism Bilingualism may have some career benefits Gain awareness of another culture and a broader view of the world Develop strong fundamental skills in oral communication (listening and speaking), reading and writing Some research shows that one benefit to bilingualism is enhanced problem-solving skills

French Immersion: Why Early Immersion? Research shows that success in learning a language is directly related to the amount of time spent hearing and speaking it Early Immersion programs offer students more time for learning French, and they naturally develop confidence and an ability to speak with native-like fluency The strength of the French Immersion program is its intensity which allows for acquiring and developing listening and speaking skills as much emphasis is placed on oral communication. Oral communication is also the base of literacy and the most important to build before moving to reading and writing ( as per the grade 1-3 literacy ministry resource).

Percentage of the day spent in French and English

Curriculum The curriculum is the same for French Immersion programs as for English programs. The difference is that French is the language of instruction. Program resources are either exact translations/adaptations of the English resources used in classrooms or are very similar (e.g. Math Makes Sense = Chenelière Mathématiques) In French Immersion we are using subjects as a vehicle to teach the second language. Emphasis is on oral communication in earlier grades to get started through games, songs, various kinaesthetic activities as if it were in their L1. Pace of learning is slower at the beginning and in junior grades students literacy skills become as strong in both languages.

Staffing French Immersion teachers are fully qualified teachers who have training in teaching French as a Second Language. They are either francophone from Quebec or Ontario, or other parts of Canada or the world. They can also be Anglophone who have learned French as a Second Language themselves and have a high quality of spoken and written French… many former French Immersion graduates from PVNC return as teachers.

Questions What if we don’t speak French at home? The French Immersion program is designed for second language learners Very few French Immersion parents speak French Teachers are very aware of this and much thought and consideration is placed into work which is sent home.

Questions Will my child develop strong English-language skills in a French immersion program? Review of the research from 1972 to 2001 concludes that “the effect of learning a second language on first-language skills has been positive in all studies done. Furthermore, the loss of instructional time in English in favour of the second language has never been shown to have negative effects on the achievement of the first language” (http://cpf.ca/en/files/Math_and_English-Lanuage_Skills_brochure.pdf ) Initially, there may be a lag in English language skills and some confusion may arise between the two languages (e.g. in spelling or pronunciation) It is frequent and normal for children to confuse words and sounds from both languages at the beginning. As they grow and become more familiar with both languages, your child will sort it all out. They will also make connections between both languages (ex. Word “prononciation” and “pronunciation”- they are friendly words. What that means is that the words are very similar looking and sounding in English and in French, and they have the same meaning. There are thousands of these “mots amis” (friendly words) between French and English, it is surprising how many French words your child might already know.

Questions Language skills transfer from one language to another, therefore reading to your child in English or another language is very important. Spending time every night reading and discussing reading with your child is strongly recommended. Literacy skills are critical in learning any language. The more you read to and with your child the more you will help to build those literacy skills. When the child is ready, the transfer of those literacy skills established in either the L1 or L2 language will naturally happen. Literacy skills are literacy skills no matter the language.

Literacy skills are critical in learning any language Literacy skills are critical in learning any language. The more you read to and with your child the more you will help to build those literacy skills. When the child is ready, the transfer of those literacy skills established in either the L1 or L2 language will naturally happen. Literacy skills are literacy skills no matter the language.

Questions Will my child be taught the same math skills as students in the regular English program? Will my child understand math courses taught in French? Math will be taught in French from kindergarten to Grade 5 and in English from Grade 6 to 8. Yes, students in French immersion learn the same math skills as students in the English stream. The EQAO results indicate that, generally, students in French immersion do as well as, or better than students who are not in immersion.

Considerations for Placing a Child in French Immersion Research has demonstrated that there is no link between a student’s IQ and their success in French Immersion. Students with identified learning disabilities can become bilingual and attain levels of first-language and academic ability commensurate with their learning challenges. Special Education services are available in the English language for Immersion students; the school may provide some French language remedial support (based on available staffing).

How Parents Can Help Know your child Make a commitment Support the French Immersion program Demonstrate a positive attitude towards French in your home Look for opportunities to expose your child to the French language and culture Read French on packages and signs

How Parents Can Help Listening is an important skill Have realistic expectations Develop literacy skills in first language – read with your child, play word games Listen to French music, watch French TV or DVDs Provide a structure – work space, resources and supportive presence Volunteer Learn French Most of the DVD’s that we buy have an option of choosing the language. Have your child watch their favourite movies in French. This is beneficial as they already know the story and it will help them to pick up new vocabulary.

Resources http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/parentGuideFrench.pdf

Resources http://on.cpf.ca

Resources http://www.ddsb.ca/Programs/FrenchImmersion/Documents/Treasure_Chest_Booklet_Audio.pdf

Merci