1. Being an Administrator in a French Language School
Saskatchewan Principals’ Short Course – July, 2017
Gisèle Jean-Bundgaard

2. A bit about me… about you…
31 years as a French Immersion educator
Primary – Middle years’ teacher
In school administrator
Introductions – School division- background
Greater Saskatoon Catholic school Division
Administrators in GSCS
French Language consultant – B. Alberton

3. Session Outcomes
To Provide an overview of the role of the principal in schools with a French Language Program
French language program structures
Resources for teachers & parents with emphasis on the Saskatchewan curriculum
To review the goals of the French Language programs
To outline present teacher training and recruitment based on GSCS experience
To provide opportunity to share experiences, insights and questions within the group

4. French Language Programs
French Immersion –L’immersion
Intensive French – le français intensif
Core French – Le français de base
Early Immersion: Entrance at Kindergarten or grade 1

5. French Immersion program

6. French Immersion School Structures
Type A & B
Dual-track and single-track schools
Advantages for both
All French immersion classrooms teach the same provincial curriculum.
Student achievement in French are similar regardless of school composition.

7. Goals of the French Immersion Program
To achieve “functional bilingualism” – being able to successfully manage in a personal and professional setting entirely in French
Language and culture
Expression
Comprehension
Language and Culture: students will value learning French as an intellectual, social and personal devt tool
-dev positive attitude toward French lang and culure
-including francophone, metis and FNM cultures
Expression – student will produce oral messages and written text to transmit info, express ideas, feelings
Comprehension = to understand oral messages and written text in variety of situations: for info, imagination, entertainment
-through listening, viewing and reading tasks and learning experiences

8. Overview of French Immersion Program per Grade Level
K-2 – 90% French instruction (Religious Education – English)
Gr. 3-5 – Approx % French
Gr Approx % French except for ELA and Religious Education, Band
Gr. 9-12—50% of high school courses in French

9. Interdisciplinary Curricula – Kindergarten to grade 2
Listening, modeling and speaking
Makes a correlation between learning outcomes
Provides authentic and meaningful contexts for learning a second language
Is delivered through inquiry based learning
Allows for flexible scheduling and student grouping
Uses of authentic sources that go beyond textbooks
Students engaged in gaining and using knowledge and skills and ways of being (Children need to be able to understand and communicate their understanding)

10. The importance of oral language
Oral Language development across the curriculum is not intended to teach children to speak but to improve their ability to communicate.
Oral language development is essential for a solid foundation and to facilitate all learning in a second language
Helping staff create a French environment for students.

11. Understanding the Learning process for the L2 Learner
What we think we can say!
What we write we can read!
What we say we can write!

12. Supporting Teachers: Best Instructional and Assessment Practices Apply

13. Inclusivity in French Programs
The student who would excel/experience difficulty in a regular English program will likely excel/experience difficulty in an immersion program
Students with impairments can still be in French Immersion
Parental decision
Quotes from Dr. K. Arnett’s research – Maryland, US
There is no cognitive barrier to bilingualism (Paradis, Genesee, & Crago, 2010).
Second language development takes time, even for younger kids who are “sponges” or less intimidated than adults (Ortega, 2010).
Struggling/experiencing difficulty during the process is NORMAL (Ortega, 2010).

14. French Immersion Beyond Elementary School…
Ministry of Education identifies French courses on all transcripts.
Bilingual certificate for completing 12 courses in French
According to tests (such as the Foreign Service Exams), immersion graduates are functionally bilingual, capable of functioning in most social, travel and work situations.
Bilingual graduates are more likely to qualify for jobs in government, tourism, retail, and travel services.
Increasing number of post-secondary opportunities to access courses taught in French at English universities

15. Curriculum Knowledge for Administrators
ciplinaire/interdisciplinaire_1_imm_2015.pdf

16. La Sask lit - Sask Reads resource https://saskatchewanreads. wordpress
La Sask lit - Sask Reads resource lasaskatchewanlit.wordpress.com

17. Other Resources for Administrators

18. Resources for Parents – French Immersion: ex
Resources for Parents – French Immersion: ex. of school Division-based Information

19. More F.I. Resources for Parents
bilingualism (video – 22 minutes)
Information sessions for parents prior to Kindergarten registration
CPF – Canadian Parents for French -
8 Chapters throughout saskatchewan
Camps for children
Research – Why to choose french?
Classes for parents

20. Intensive French Program

21. Intensive French – Goals - Focus
To provide a higher level of language competency in French to all students
To develop a positive attitude towards learning a second language
The main focus is on:
Authentic communication
Developing literacy skills
Challenging projects
Interactive strategies
Building internal knowledge of French

22. Background Information
First piloted in 2002 in Saskatoon
Implemented across SasK and Canada- replicated in other countries for other languages
Based on a National Core French Study ( ) on the efficiency of the Core French program, the results concluded that students would learn better with:
Sustained periods of time
A more communicative approach (as opposed to grammar-based)
Resources to support the communicative approach
Change in teaching strategies
Even with these changes, results were not as strong as expected, therefore the Intensive French program was developed as a research project to refine the factors in order to get the desired results.

23. Intensive French Structure
First five months: Intense and uninterrupted periods of French
3 or 4 times the number of hours in FSL in a school year (ex.: from 90 to 300 hrs/year)
A reorganized FSL curriculum based on a Language Arts/ Literacy approach
Last five months: regular curriculum
Grade 6 implementation

24. GRADE 6 Intensive French Sept.-January Feb.-June
60%
12% E
Math
14%
Health education - 2%
Religion 8%
Science
Social studies
Music (Band)
Phys. Ed.
Arts Ed. 4%
Career Ed.
English language arts
26%
You will note that over the year, the French block of time is the only subject taught in French. All subjects that appear in the blue shaded section below French are taught in English. So, you will not see Health, Science, Social Studies, Career Ed. and English Language Arts scheduled in the first half of the year.
Math, Religion, Music (Band), Phys. Ed, and Arts Ed. continue to be taught throughout the year.

25. Grade 7 & 8 Post-Intensive French
English
22%
French
14%
Math
16%
Religion
10%
Science 8%
Social studies
Music (Band) 4%
Phys. Ed.
Arts Ed.
Health Education
Career Ed 2%
Grades 9-12 Post-IF are semestered like other courses

26. Languages are best learned when there is…
Less time on KNOWLEDGE
Teaching grammar (for oral communication)
Learning vocabulary lists
More time on USE
Interacting in the 2nd language
Modeling the language
Correcting the language used

27. Resources for Educators

28. Core French Program

29. Core French - Goals
A second language program in which French is taught as a subject or course.
A solid introduction and base upon which students can build second language skills.
Students will understand, use and appreciate the French language.
Students will use the language confidently and correctly in familiar contexts and authentic situations, develop strategies to help them acquire the language and develop an appreciation of Francophone cultures.

30. The Core French Program Can:
Contributes to the global education of students and allows them to enrich their personal experience through communicative situations;
Develop communication and social strategies that will enable them to function effectively in authentic language situations;
Promote a positive attitude towards the learning of French and, through an appreciation of francophone cultures, develop openness towards cultural diversity and a comprehension of the bilingual and multicultural reality of Canada today; and
Foster a comprehension of the language learning process and of the general nature of language

31. Core French Specifics
Core French is not a required area of study. It is a locally-determined option at the elementary and middle levels and an elective at the secondary level.
Schools/divisions determine the grade level at which the Core French program will begin and the time allotment
To accommodate variety in starting ages, the Core French curriculum is defined by language levels and not by grades – beginning with level one.
There are nine levels of study that precede secondary credit courses Core French 10, 20 and 30. The levels represent a continuum of language learning. It is possible for students in one classroom to be working at different levels of the Core French continuum.

32. Core French Levels Correlation
Level Grade 9
Level Grade 10
Level Grade 11
Level Grade 12

33. Core French Instructional Requirements
At the elementary and middle levels, school divisions may gain time for locally-determined options by reducing the time spent in required areas of study by no more than 20% in any area.
The recommended minimum time allocations for Core French are 120 minutes per week at the elementary level and 150 minutes per week at the middle level.

34. Resources for Educators
GSCS Core French Survival guide outlines the program specifics
CASLT – Canadian Association of Second Language teachers

35. CPF – A Resource for Parents

36. Teacher Training University programs
Intensive French – one week course – STF
calendar/intensive-french-5-days
French oral proficiency levels

38. Funding for French Programs
Provincial Funding
33% more funding for instructional resources in FI schools – (ex: single stream FI school of 400 would received about $60,000 more than an English only school)
No extra funding transportation
Federal funding
Managed at the school board level – no formula - $65,000 for 7 FI schools
Rotating kits of resources
Classroom libraries
French cultural performances
Oral language resources
Pd and resources for teachers
Conseil culturel Fransaskois reimburses $250 for school-based cultural activities
CPF funding for schools

39. French: The gift of a 2nd language