Canadian Parents for French-BC & Yukon Branch is a parent-led, non-profit organization that has worked for more than 30 years
to promote, support, and advocate for accessible and quality FSL programming.
French Immersion Talking Points
In addition to developing a lifelong ability to communicate with more people, children gain other benefits
from early language instruction, including improved overall school performance and superior problemsolving skills. Knowing a second language ultimately provides a competitive advantage in the workforce by
opening up a larger pool of information and additional job opportunities.
French Immersion is a successful Canadian-made educational program in which a child whose first
language is not French studies in French. French Immersion began over 30 years ago in response to
parental demand; research shows that this is the most effective way for a child to become functionally
bilingual. Enrolling a child in French Immersion is not about a parent’s past: it is about an investment in a
child’s future. By enrolling in a French Immersion program, children have everything to gain and
nothing to lose.
Why choose French Immersion (FI)?
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Canada has two official languages, English and French, and one in four individuals has French as a first
official language.
FI is designed to produce functionally bilingual students.
A second language – particularly a second official language – opens many doors for children, including
educational and cultural.
Knowledge of a second language provides a competitive advantage and an enhanced career potential, as
well as an increased networking potential. In many federal and supra-national positions, bilingual fluency in
English and French is a requirement.
La Francophonie is an international organization of politics and governments with French as the mother or
customary language or where a significant proportion of people are francophone. Canada is a member of
this French-language equivalent to the British Commonwealth, which includes a network of 56 states and
governments, 25 of which have French as an official language.
There are over 300 million French-speaking people worldwide. French is the second most frequently known
language among Europeans in addition to their mother tongue: one-fifth of non-francophone Europeans say
they know French.
o In BC French is the second most understood language, second only to English.
French is the only language other than English spoken on five continents.
French and English are the languages of world diplomacy. French is an official working language of the
United Nations, the International Red Cross, the International Olympic Committee, the European
Community, NATO, and many others.
Promoting opportuniti es for young Canadians to learn and use French
French Immersion Talking Points
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Learning a second language is an intellectual exercise and a challenge. Learning French is a discipline,
requiring not only a comprehension of culture but also the intricacies of the language: grammar, structure,
vocabulary, phonetics, etc.
Graduates of a full Immersion program have an increased appreciation and understanding of other
languages and cultures.
A comprehensive knowledge of French offers children a greater facility for learning other languages,
particularly romance languages such as Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian.
Students gain a more global view of Canada and the world:
o According to a 2007 CROP poll prepared for CBC Radio-Canada, 88% of Canadians believe that
people who speak more than one language are better equipped to succeed in today’s global
economy and 67% of participants surveyed indicate that knowing Canada’s two official languages
is a key factor in defining what it is to be Canadian.
o A 2003 Environics poll noted that 87% of English-speaking Canadians surveyed believe that the
ability to speak more than one language is very important in this period of growing international
trade.
o Interestingly, among young Canadians (aged 12-30) 66% believe that all high-school graduates
should have a working knowledge of both English and French.
Why choose Early French Immersion (EFI)?
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It is estimated that about 80% of all FI students are enrolled in an EFI program.
Studies have shown that it is easier and more natural for a child to learn another language at a very early
age. In Finland, for example, a Swedish Immersion program is offered to children beginning at age three.
EFI teachers are very conscious of the fact that children are starting to learn a language with no prior
knowledge. Teachers are trained to provide clear explanations using various communication strategies and
by making experimental activities meaningful.
Research has shown the positive results of EFI programs in Canada and other countries. While it is “natural”
for children to absorb another language at an early age given this is when they learn their mother tongue,
with age it requires motivation and a far more concentrated effort to learn a language.
Studies have shown, and experience has supported, that children who learn a language before the onset of
adolescence are much more likely to have native-like pronunciation. A number of experts attribute this
proficiency to physiological changes that occur in the maturing of the brain as a child enters puberty.
Introducing children to alternative methods and tools through which to express themselves broadens their
outlook.
Is FI an elite program?
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This is a popular misconception. In reality, French Immersion can benefit all children!
Though overall public school enrollment has been on the decline, in 2001-2012 FI experienced its
thirteenth consecutive year of enrollment growth:
o There are currently over 275,000 students in FSL programs in BC and Yukon;
o There are currently over 44,800 students in FI in BC, which accounts for 7.7% of the total
enrollment population.
FI is open to all students and does not discriminate based on family heritage, parent income or social status.
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French Immersion Talking Points
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Of course, children with above-average academic abilities generally have an advantage in most forms of
learning, regardless of language. High academic skills are not related to performance in French language
skills.
Children with learning difficulties will experience these problems in any language and should not be denied
the satisfaction, pride and personal growth that come with being bilingual.
Example Letter to the Editor in Support of FI
French Immersion: everything to gain, nothing to lose
Re: “French Immersion a drain on system”, H.W. Druskee (March 2, 2012)
The choice to enroll a child in French Immersion is not a selfish want rooted in the parent’s past; on the
contrary, it is a wise investment in the child’s future.
In terms of cost, the federal government allocates funding to support all French second language programs.
For Kamloops-Thompson (SD73) specifically, $197,555 was allocated for the 2011-2012 school year. With
6,585 students accessing those funds, this equates to a $30 allotment per student per year. This is a
remarkably small financial investment for such an important future return.
Learning a second language is an intellectual exercise and a challenge which further develops a child’s
cognitive abilities. Learning French is a discipline, requiring a comprehension of culture and expression as
well as the many intricacies of a language. Studies have shown that it is easier and more natural for a child
to learn a second language at a very early age. This is only logical, given that this is also when they absorb
and learn their first language.
In learning French, students develop a lifelong ability to communicate with a broader scope of people as
well as a more global view of Canada and the world. Learning both official languages allows for not only
communication, but understanding in an ever-shrinking world community. Knowledge of a second language
also provides a competitive advantage in the workforce by opening up a larger pool of information,
additional job opportunities and a wider networking potential.
French Immersion is a highly successful made-in-Canada educational program that allows nonFrancophones the opportunity to learn and study in French. The program began over 30 years ago at the
demand of parents, and has continued to garner support since: the 2011-2012 school year marked French
Immersion’s thirteenth consecutive year of enrollment growth in BC. Currently, over 275,000 students are
enrolled in French second language programs in BC and Yukon, and French Immersion accounts for 7.7%
of the total student population in BC.
By enrolling a French Immersion program, children have everything to gain and nothing to lose.
Debra Pool
President
Canadian Parents for French – BC & Yukon Branch
Complied March 19, 2012
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