Early French Immersion Parent Information Meeting January 2004

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Early French Immersion Parent Information
Meeting January 2004

• Prepared by Kelly Burt
• Coordinator, Delta School District

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• The key is that through Immersion they
  (students) are making their own lives more
  interesting. They are entering the room of their
  own lives and designing it with two doors instead
  of one two doors leading to twice as many ideas,
  books, films, societies, indeed friends. It is a
  profound form of self-fulfillment.
• John Ralston Saul
• CPF National Issue
• No. 82, Winter 2000

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Program Objectives

• The major goal of Deltas French Immersion
  programs is to provide the opportunity for
  non-Francophone students to become bilingual in
  English and French. A student who has
  successfully completed a French Immersion program
  can be expected to
• participate easily in conversations in English
  and French
• take post-secondary courses with French as the
  language of instruction and
• accept employment with French as the language of
  the workplace.

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Immersion Across Canada

• Started in Saint-Lambert, Québec in 1965
• In Delta School District since 1981
• Source BC Ministry of Education

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What is Immersion?

• A second language acquired primarily by using the
  language for meaningful communication and
  instruction in other subjects
• The students all begin not knowing the second
  language and instructional strategies and
  materials are designed with that in mind
• The program begins with intensive instruction in
  and via the target language by teachers fluent in
  that language
• Instruction of the subject material is never
  repeated in the two languages
• The program is expected to take several years to
  achieve its objectives

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The French Immersion Program

• Additive, bilingual 13 year program
• Start at Kindergarten or Grade 1 (Early) or
• Grade 6 (Late)
• First language not French
• Goal functional bilingualism
• Parallel academic standards
• Students graduate with a bilingual Dogwood
  diploma upon completion of Grade 12

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The Elementary Years

• Early French Immersion
• K to Grade 2 100 French instruction
• Grade 3 English Language Arts introduced
• Grades 3 - 7 80 French instruction

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The Secondary Years

• Grades 8/9/10 French Language Arts and a
  minimum of two other courses in French (currently
  Social Studies and Science)
• Grade 11 French Language Arts and a minimum of
  one other course in French (currently Social
  Studies)
• Grade 12 French Language Arts only required
  course in French
• Secondary French Immersion currently offered at
  Burnsview Jr. High, North Delta Sr. High, and
  South Delta Secondary

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French Immersion Teachers

• Bilingual from all over the world
• Speak with a variety of accents
• Teach standard French

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Is Immersion for all children?
• How can I help at home?
• Will French Immersion have an impact on my
  childs success in English or in subjects taught
  in French?

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Is French Immersion for all children?

• Optional program for all children of the
  appropriate age - children with learning
  challenges to gifted
• No screening
• Some children have difficulties regardless of
  language
• Learning Assistance is available
• Parental support and commitment

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Characteristics for suitability (attitude,
motivation, personality, physical)

• First language acquisition - first language
  basics (colours, numbers, etc.)
• Listening skills
• Attention span
• Enjoy language and willing to experiment
• Emulate sounds
• Aural/oral program - important to have good
  verbal/hearing abilities
• Focus and stay on task
• Follow directions
• Receptive to change and able to cope with
  ambiguity
• Handle frustrations able to muddle through
  situations and try new things

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How can I help at home?

• Establish good rapport with your childs teacher
• Read to your child often in English
• Be enthusiastic and positive
• Encourage your child to use a buddy system
• Provide a positive environment for study,
  homework and reading
• Buy a few simple French books and some French CDs
  suitable to their age level
• Provide opportunities for your child to speak
  French outside of the classroom
• Continuing education - even though French
  Immersion is designed for children whose parents
  dont speak French, parents may want to learn
  enough French to count, to know colours and other
  basic words, and to pronounce childrens
  vocabulary lists

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Will French Immersion have an impact on my
childs success in English or in subjects taught
in French?

• No, in fact research over the past 30 years has
  consistently shown that children who are in
  foreign language immersion programs are not
  disadvantaged in any way when it comes to
  performing adequately in their native language
• First two years, may temporarily lag in some
  skills (e.g. spelling) - usually disappears when
  English language arts is introduced
• Phenomenon of transfer
• Deltas data and results support research that
  shows that immersion students perform as well as
  or better than their monolingual English peers on
  all standardized measures of mathematics, English
  writing and English reading comprehension after
  some English instruction has been added to the
  curriculum

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Foundation Skills AssessmentGrade 4 Students
Meeting or Exceeding Expectations Delta School
District, 2003
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Foundation Skills AssessmentGrade 7 Students
Meeting or Exceeding Expectations Delta School
District, 2003
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Foundation Skills AssessmentGrade 10 Students
Meeting or Exceeding Expectations Delta School
District, 2003
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Canadian Parents for French

• Non-profit organization - support group for
  parents of children in French Immersion
• Membership funds are used for socio-cultural
  events, scholarships, summer camps and District
  Provincial French Public Speaking Contest
• Annual membership is 25
• Visit Delta CPF website - www.delta.cpf.bc.ca

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Deltas French Immersion Elementary Schools

• Devon Gardens Elementary
• Richardson Elementary
• Sunshine Hills Elementary
• South Park Elementary
• Ladner Elementary
• Chalmers Elementary (Late French Immersion)

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Benefits of Being Bilingual

• Learning a second language at an early age
• Has a positive effect on intellectual growth
• Enriches and enhances a childs mental
  development
• Leaves students with more flexibility in
  thinking, greater sensitivity to language, and a
  better ear for listening
• Improves a childs understanding of his/her first
  language
• Gives a child the ability to communicate with
  people he/she would otherwise not have the chance
  to know
• Opens the door to other cultures and helps a
  child understand and appreciate people from other
  countries
• Gives a student a head start in language
  requirements for university
• Increases job opportunities in many careers where
  knowing another language is a real asset