French-language education vs French immersion programs?
Despite the fact that there are more than 425 elementary and secondary French-language Catholic and public schools in Ontario, many people ignore their existence. Also, many confuse French-language schools managed by a French-language school board with immersion programs offered in English-language schools to students who wish to learn French as a second language.
To help you make the best decision possible, I will explain how these two concepts differ.
French-language schools are schools where everything is in French.
- Students are taught all subjects in French, except for English, which is taught following the same standards and curriculum as in English-language schools.
- The environment in which the student evolves is entirely Francophone: ads, posters, etc.
- The student learns and LIVES in French.
- The entire staff speaks French.
- Learning and school life are enriched with activities that highlight the Francophone culture in all its diversity.
French immersion programs are offered in English-language schools to English-speaking students who want to learn French as a second language.
- Students in French immersion programs are taught in English (with the exception of French courses and two other courses in French).
- The school in which the immersion program is offered is an English-language school.
- The environment in which students evolve is more Anglophone: ads, posters, etc.
- Students learn and live mainly in English.
- Students master English as a first language and French as a second language.
In Ontario, there are no IMMERSION SCHOOLS or BILINGUAL SCHOOLS funded by taxpayers.
In Ontario, there are four types of schools, each one belonging to one of the four types of publicly-funded school boards: French-language Catholic and public schools and English-language Catholic and public schools. “Immersion schools” do not exist. This is why the terms used should be IMMERSION PROGRAMS and FRENCH-LANGUAGE SCHOOLS.
Immersion programs allow many English-speaking individuals to develop language skills in French, which is very good and beneficial. This increases the Francophone milieu in which our students evolve by strengthening a fundamental component of the Canadian identity. However, these programs hold little weight in the effort to fight the assimilation of Francophones and cannot reverse the linguistic and cultural erosion of the Franco-Ontarian community. Indeed, it is the responsibility of French-language schools to ensure the survival and the evolution of the Francophone culture, and to encourage the development of the identity and cultural vitality of one of the two founding peoples of our country.
Marie
Hello,
My wife and I are trying to decide what is better for our daughter, who is approaching schooling age. should we put her in French school or French Immersion program. She is fluently bilingual, I am not. Our ultimate goal is for her to be fluently bilingual, go give her as many opportunities as possible. Do you know of any sources that could provide insight into this decision. I lean towards immersion programs – I am an educator myself I want to have an active role in my child’s education, and if she is in a French school, I am afraid I won’t be able to fulfill that role.
Thanks for your help.
In order to help parents such as youself make the best choice for their child’s future, we have clealy describes the distinction between French schools and immersion. FLE stands for French-language Education in Ontario. In Ontario, French schools serve more than 600 000 individuals who make up the province’s Franco-Ontarian community (http://www.elfontario.ca/en/mission.html). Hence, everything is taught in French, in a French cultural setting. These schools do not offer French immersion programs. French immersion programs are offered in English schools, by English school boards, to English-speaking students who wish to learn French as a second language.
However, in French schools, English is taught as a subject to all students, following the same curriculum as in English schools. Students attending FLE, already immersed in an English speaking society, develop the highest level of proficiency in both of our country’s official languages (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/81-004-x/2008004/article/10767-eng.htm).
FLE also provides innovative programs and services to support non-francophone parents.
If you visit our website at this address, http://www.elfontario.ca/en/campaign.html you will discover why French-language Education in Ontario is the best choice for your child’s future.
My husband and I have had this discussion over and over for the last 2 weeks, as it is that time to register our daughter for school. We are both french language right holders who both attended french language schools up to post-secondary. We chose to register our daughter in a french immersion program for 2 very big reasons. One being English is the universal language, most of the world functions and communicates in English, we wanted her to learn the English language well, yet still have a good understanding of French. Second, both my husband and I found that once we went to post-secondary all our classes were in English and we werent used to the terminology. Although we both excelled in french education, post-secondary education was a steep learning curve simply because of terminology. Had we continued in french university I’m sure we would have been fine, but in Ontario there aren’t very many universities/colleges that are offered in French. This why we chose french immersion, we want to expose our daugther to the best of both languages at the same time. Both my husband and I no longer use our french as much as we used to before post-secondary. Although it does come in handy now and then, the reality is knowing English well is more essential than knowing French well.
Thanks for your inquiry. First let me give you some information regarding French-Language Education in Ontario. As you read on our blog, French immersion programs are offered in English-language schools to English-speaking students who want to learn French as a second language. Did you know that according to Statistics Canada: Despite increased attendance at French-language immersion programs, there is a decline in the last ten years in the ability of young Anglophones to speak French. (See graphic: http://www.elfontario.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/baisse-du-bilinguisme-francais_anglais4.jpg)
FLE offers a range of programs and services intended for people of all age groups from daycare, to French-language schools and high schools, 2 French colleges with campuses throughout Ontario and 10 French-language and bilingual universities.
May I suggest that you read the following post on our blog entitled “The top ten reasons to choose French-language Education in Ontario” published on January 24th 2013. In this post you will find many answers to the points you raised as far as graduation rates of our students, placement rates after graduation and statistics on bilingualism and the impressive results of our students on provincial tests (EQAO).
There is also another post that might interest you and it’s called “I am francophone” published under International Day of La Francophonie 2012.
Hope this can help you make the best choice for your daughter’s education!