CANADIAN PARENTS FOR FRENCH
FRENCH-SECOND-LANGUAGE EDUCATION RESEARCH UPDATE
ATTRITION FROM FRENCH-SECOND-LANGUAGE PROGRAMS
DECEMBER, 2014
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CONTENT
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Bourgoin, R. (2014) Inclusionary Practices
in French Immersion: A Need to Link
Research to Practice Canadian Journal for
New Scholars in Education 5(1), Canadian
Society for the Study of Education, Ottawa
“There are also concerns regarding French immersion’s high attrition rates
(Arnett & Fortune, 2004). Unfortunately, many students exit the early French
immersion program due to academic difficulty (Bournot-Trites, 2008; Keep,
1993). When students who experience learning difficulties refrain from enrolling
in, or transfer out of French immersion, inequalities between immersion and
English classes are oftentimes created. These inequalities can lead to the French
immersion program being categorized as elitist. It also prompts “a call to be
made for the elimination or curtailing of immersion by those who have chosen
the non-immersion option because they feel that the best students are being
pulled into immersion leaving a weakened, inferior ‘regular’ program”
(Genesee, 1992, p. 200)
http://www.cjnsercjce.ca/ojs2/index.php/cj
nse/article/viewFile/225/1
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New Brunswick Department of
Education and Early Childhood
Development (2013) Summary Statistics
School Year 2012-2013,
See Table 5a: Enrolment in French Immersion by School District, Grade and
Gender, September 30, 2012
http://www.gnb.ca/0000/p
ublications/polplan/stat/
SummaryStatistics20122013.pdf
Peel District School Board (2012) Final
Report of the French Immersion Review
Committee, Elementary, Ontario:
Author
In respect of the question as to whether differences exist in achievement, selfreport measures of school effectiveness and attrition rates between students
attending French immersion programs in the single-track and dual-track groups
in this investigation, significant differences in attrition rates emerge as the sole
measure that distinguishes the single track and dual track groups in this
investigation. Further study is warranted to better understand the factors that
http://schools.peelschools
.org/communications/Do
cuments/Final%20Report
%20of%20the%20French
%20Immersion%20Revie
w%20Committee.pdf
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School District No. 19 (2013) Early
French Immersion Update, Revelstoke:
BC
CONTENT
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contribute to this finding. There is not an identifiable tool in place within the
board that will allow for conducting exit surveys for students who leave the
program to help administrators better understand why students are leaving.
All French Immersion and Francophone programs face attrition. With only two
entry points and many potential points of departure, this is simply inevitable.
The following table details the grade by-grade average attrition rates for BC
French Immersion programs
http://www.sd19.bc.ca/pd
f%20Files%20for%20Web
site/March%202013%20E
FI%20Update.pdf
French Immersion Secondary Attrition - 1999-2004 (Percentage) Source Canadian Parents for French - BC & Yukon Branch
Grade 8
12.4
Grade 9
12.1
Grade 10
13.4
Grade 11
14
Grade 12
12
While BC's attrition rate is not bad comparatively, secondary attrition is a serious
problem for French Immersion programs. On average only 55% of Grade 7 FI
students get their Bilingual Dogwood. 35% of students leave in either Grade 10,
11 or 12. While these students have benefited substantially from French
Immersion and may well be functionally bilingual, the loss in learning
momentum is considerable.
Halifax Regional School Board (2011)
The Delivery of French Immersion,
Halifax: Author
See Table 7. History of the system-wide Early Immersion attrition rates by
grade for the past five years. Two particular columns of data require attention
because they contain an attrition rate which is obviously higher than the others
in the column. The Grade 7 attrition rate in 2006-07 is 16.9%, much greater than
the other four rates for that Grade. Although no explanation for this deviation
could be found, the rates for the previous two years can be included in a revised
calculation. If the attrition rates (10.8% and 9.9%) for Grade 7 in the two years
prior to 2006-07 are included in calculating the average, it becomes 9.4% instead
of 8.9%. Similarly, the attrition rate for Grade 11 in 2010-11 is an extreme
deviation from the others in the same column. If it is excluded from the
calculation, the 4-year average is 3.8% instead of 9.2%.Generally, the data in
Table 7 show that EI attrition rates for Grade 1 and Grade 2 are higher than those
for Grade 5 and 6 and they gradually improve from Grade 2 to Grade 6. Then the
data show another peak from Grade 6 to Grade 7 when most of the students
move to another school. The attrition rates for both Early Immersion and Late
http://www.hrsb.ca/sites/
default/files/hrsb/Downl
oads/pdf/reports/20102011/March/FrenchImmersion-Study.pdf
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Immersion (Table 7 and Table 8) show a peak from Grade 9 to Grade 10.
School District No. 68 (2011) French
Immersion Program Review School
District No. 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith)
British Columbia: Author
Durant, M. (2010) Developing a
Knowledge-Based Research Approach
to Second Language Learning, PCH
Second Language Learning Research
Roundtable
Includes comparison of French Immersion attrition in similar sized school
districts
http://www.sd68.bc.ca/D
ocuments/FrenchImmersi
onReviewNov302011.pdf
According to the Centre for Education Statistics, fewer than 50% of Québec
francophones agreed that their elementary and secondary L2 education was
adequate. Over half of the young people living in a majority situation want to
learn the other language. The extra-curricular activities suggested were: classes,
lessons, courses, tutoring, and language exchanges. The most popular reasons
for the lack of L2 learning were related to personal interest and opportunities to
practice the target language. Employment opportunities were the main reason
for interest. Exchanges through Young Canada Works official language
programs have had positive effects including more L2 use at home.
XXXXXXXXX
Sinay, E. (2010) Programs of Choice in
The TDSB: Characteristics of Students
in French Immersion, Alternative
Schools, and Other Specialized Schools
and Programs, Toronto District School
Board, Toronto
See: Figure 1: Percentage of Students Enrolled in French Immersion Programs by
Gender and Percentage of All French Immersion Students in the TDSB Over
Time
http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Po
rtals/0/community/comm
unity%20advisory%20co
mmittees/fslac/support%
20staff/programsofchoice
studentcharacteristics.pd
f
Boudreaux, N., Olivier, D. (2009)
Student Attrition in Foreign Language
Immersion Programs, Presented at the
Annual Meeting of the Louisiana
Education Research Association
Lafayette, March 5-6, 2009, Louisiana:
Author
This article reviews the literature pertaining to student attrition at all levels in
foreign language immersion settings. Boudreaux summarizes the research done
in the field pointing out the key points from studies conducted in the past for
reasons why students have left foreign language looking at different subgroups
of students and the reasons for their exit. After her review of the literature she
offers a few suggestions for further study. She says that more research be done
in the united states to examine the problem from and American perspective, as
well as looking at reasons why parents enroll their children and then withdraw
them from the foreign language immersion schools.
]
CASLT undertook a study to review and summarize existing knowledge about
the various modes of delivering core French. The pedagogical focus within core
http://ullresearch.pbwork
s.com/f/Boudreaux_ULL_
StudentAttritioninForeig
nLanguagePrograms.pdf
Mady, C. (2008) The Relative
Effectiveness of Different Core French
http://www.caslt.org/pdf/
EffectiveDeliveryModels
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Delivery Models-Review of the
Research, Panorama, Canadian
Association of Second Language
Teachers, CASLT Research Series,
Ottawa
French programs is to be considered as well as access to these programs. It was
confirmed more time is needed and that provincially and territorially mandated
and scheduling difficulties time is affecting the lack of speaking skills, in
addition to. According to the students, there needs to be less of a focus on
linguistic aspects and more opportunities to interact with francophones. A
number of pedagogical changes are being reviewed in various curricula to
provide core French oral communication opportunities. These opportunities are
closely geared to student interests and needs, such as the drama for learning
approach that they enjoyed and viewed as important. Non-semestered core
French programs at the secondary level are being reviewed to improve time on
task. Eight provinces are promoting distance education courses to ensure
accessibility to French learning.
CoreFrench_Engl.pdf
Statistics Canada (2008) French
Immersion: 30 Years Later,
Ottawa: Author
While the proportion of girls and of boys in non-immersion programs is roughly
equal in all provinces, girls account for 3 of 5 students in French immersion
programs in all provinces except Quebec
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/
pub/81-004x/200406/6923-eng.htm
Cadez, R.V. (2006) Student Attrition in
Specialized High School Programs: An
Examination of Three French
Immersion Centres
Student attrition has always been a problem for French immersion programs,
especially at the high school level. In response to a lack of current research, this
study seeks to discover if the problem persists. It also examines how today's
French immersion high schools are dealing with other problem areas identified
in research done in the past. These areas include, among others, students'
learning challenges, behavioural challenges, and difficulties with the French
language. The study documents the attrition rates from 1990 to 2004 in three
high schools in Manitoba that are French immersion centres. In an effort to
understand why students remained or left the immersion programs, 35 teachers,
220 current students, and 18 former students who have left the program to
attend English schools were surveyed. All three sample groups' perceptions of
the program show that while many things that were considered problematic in
the literature are no longer a concern, other issues continue to persist.
Furthermore, the data show that male and female students tend to leave the
French immersion program for different reasons. However, the common motive
that instigates the decision to leave appears to be the perception that higher
grades can be achieved in an English school.
https://www.uleth.ca/dsp
ace/handle/10133/340
Scroll down to ‘Files in
this item’ for link to PDF
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Joseph, D. (2006) Le français…il y en a
toujours qui choisissent de l’étudier,
Réflexions Vol 25, #1, Canadian
Association of Second Language
Teachers, Ottawa, ON Vol 25, #1
This article studies why students choose to stay in FSL programs, and gives hints
as to how parents and teachers can help encourage students to remain in FSL
programming. Based on a survey that the author administered, the following
reasons reveal why Grade 11 and 12 students have remained in French
programs: job preparation, French certificate, parents, teachers, national
cohesion, and friends. The article elaborates on the role that parents and teachers
play in the motivation of the students to continue learning French.
http://www.caslt.org/wha
t-we-do/publicationsreflexions_en.php Scroll
down to #25
Kissau, S. (2006) Gender Differences in
Motivation to Learn French, Canadian
Modern Language Review 62(3),
University of Toronto Press, Ontario
This study examines the reasons why males a less motivated to learn French in a
school. The study found that roughly 25% of the students were continuing in
French in grade 10, and that of that number 70% were female compared to 30%
male. The study found that the best predictor between male and female was
their desire to learn French (females expressing more of a desire to do so). The
study found that females’ main reason to learn French was to be able to
communicate in French; so as to be able to experience French culture and meet
French people, whereas boys felt that learning French was not worth their time
and that they were not interested in experiencing French culture. The study also
concluded that a higher percentage of males compared to females perceived
their success in French as “luck”. The author finishes his study by saying that
learning French is still perceived as being feminine by a large number of the
population. In conclusion the author offers a number of recommendations to
improve the perception of French as a second language learning amongst males.
Firstly, he recommends that more male oriented topics be discussed in school.
Secondly, he suggests that males be exposed to more men who have pursued
careers in languages. Finally, he recommends that males be shown possible
career paths that exist with languages.
http://utpjournals.metapr
ess.com/content/1w7138w
q70k76004/?p=ddd835d12
c794af5be1c6c6c61e464ee
&pi=2
Turnbull, M., Hart, D., Lapkin, S. (2006)
Grade 6 French Immersion Students'
Performance on Large-Scale Reading,
Writing, and Mathematics Tests:
Building Explanations, The Alberta
Journal of Educational Research Vol.
XLIX, No. 1, Spring 2003, 6-23, Alberta
“… an important finding of the EQAO testing program has been of systematic
differences in the performance of boys and girls, favoring the latter. Given that
girls are frequently overrepresented in immersion, it is worth considering
possible the effects of sex. In fact the overrepresentation of girls among
immersion students is virtually identical at grades 3 and 6. Girls account for 57%
of grade 3 immersion students, compared with 48% of regular program students.
At grade 6 the proportions are 56% and 49% respectively. Thus any changes in
relative test performance cannot be ascribed to an increasing "feminization" of
immersion between grades 3 and 6.
http://ajer.journalhosting
.ucalgary.ca/index.php/aj
er/article/view/354/346
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In the case of reading and writing, the effects of sex and program appear to be
additive. Girls do better than boys in each program, and immersion students do
better than regular program students across both sexes. In the case of
mathematics, sex effects virtually disappear. Immersion students do better than
regular program students, but boys and girls perform similarly in each
program.”
Arnett, K., Fortune, T. (2004) Strategies
for Helping Underperforming
Immersion Learners Succeed , ACIE
Newsletter #7
http://www.carla.umn.ed
This article explains some useful approaches to make French Immersion (FI)
u/immersion/acie/vol7/br
more inclusive, specifically for those who do not excel academically or have
idge-7(3).pdf
learning disabilities. In 1991, Stern claimed that transfer rates from FI to nonimmersion programs of K-6 students in Canada were 40-50%. Keep (1993)
assessed 37 immersion students who successfully completed 10 years in the
program and compared them to 34 others who had transferred before grade six
and 54 students from grades 1-6 who were still in the program. Twice as many of
the transfers were from male students who were 1-2 years below grade level.
85% of them had cognitive processing weaknesses with regards to memory,
language, and visual perception.
Arnett suggests strategies for perception (input), processing
(deciphering/organizing) and expression (output) for listening, speaking,
reading, and writing. Some of these strategies include providing additional time,
graphic representations of concepts, presenting the same information using
different modalities, presenting mnemonic devices, accepting multiple forms of
expressing info, and asking global comprehension questions.
Canadian Parents for French (2005), The
State of French-Second-Language
Education in Canada, Ottawa: Author
Canadian Parents for French (2005), The
State of French-Second-Language
Education in Canada, Ottawa: Author
Prairie Research Associates Inc. (2000)
French Immersion: Findings of School
Administrator Focus Groups,
Winnipeg: Author.
Includes survey findings from study of 400 university students with and without
elementary/secondary core and/or immersion programs
http://cpf.ca/en/files/FSL2005-EN.pdf
The whole reports addresses core French issues, including attrition
http://cpf.ca/en/files/FSL2004-EN.pdf
The Bureau de l’éducation française, Manitoba Department of Education and
Training commissioned this qualitative report which summarizes the opinions of
the 25 principals/vice-principals of dual track schools and FI centres who
participated in the focus groups. On-going challenges include: creating a French
environment within their schools, defending the FI program to other teachers
and superintendents, as well as keeping satisfied parents informed and
http://www.edu.gov.mb.c
a/k12/docs/french_imm/fi
ndings_focus.pdf
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involved. Long-term challenges include: maintaining student numbers, offering
a varied curriculum in French, and finding qualified FI teachers. The principals
noted that, while there may be individuals and specific groups within school
and divisions playing a leadership role, there is no province-wide leadership
and they call for the Bureau de l’éducation française to fill this void.
Cummings, J. (2000) Immersion
Education for the Millennium: What We
Have Learned from 30 Years of
Research on Second Language
Immersion, Ontario Institute for Studies
in Education, University of Toronto
Press, Toronto
Cummins introduces the three kinds of immersion: early, middle, and late. There
are many dropouts from immersion before the end of elementary school;
however, many students do not continue FI in high school. According to
Cummins, these students have a difference between receptive and expressive
skills due to a lack of contact with native target language speakers. He believes
that these dropout rates are due to the lack of opportunities to use oral or written
French for creative and problem solving activities in these transmission-oriented
classrooms. The author discusses how the immersion programs are beneficial
because bilingual children have greater sensitivity to linguistic meanings and are
more flexible in thinking then monolingual children. His language
interdependence theory discusses how language skills can transfer, especially
when the languages are not similar. In order to improve immersion programs,
Cummins believes that cooperative activities are necessary. This is seen as a risk
by many educators, since they are afraid the students will feel free to use their
L1. Comprehensible input must extend into critical literacy writing activities to
develop language awareness.
http://www.carla.umn.ed
u/cobaltt/modules/strateg
ies/CUMMINS/cummins.
pdf
Obadia,A., Theriault, C. (1997) Attrition
in French immersion programs:
Possible solutions, Canadian Modern
Language Review 53(3) University of
Toronto Press, Toronto
Studies the perceptions of French coordinators, helping teachers, school
principals, and French immersion teachers in British Columbia school districts
regarding the Frenhc immersion attrition rate and students' reasons for leaving
the program. The research differed from previous studies in that it also
investigated the strategies used by administrators and teacher to reduce
attrition. Over two-thirds of French coordinators responding felt the dropout
rate was normal. Elementary school principals felt students were more likely to
drop out in seventh grade early immersion than late immersion, and secondary
school principals felt students were more likely to drop out in eighth grade.
There was little consensus among the teachers. Overall, data suggest that junior
high school is a critical period for retention. All groups felt academic difficulty,
limited choice of subjects, and peer pressure were the most common reasons for
leaving immersion. Some districts had participated in research on French
http://files.eric.ed.gov/ful
ltext/ED400674.pdf
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immersion attrition; most of the coordinators and some principals and teachers
mentioned some form of action to reduce attrition. Suggestions for intervention
to reduce attrition fell into three categories: district, school, and classroom. A list
of suggestions to reduce the drop-out rate in French Immersion Programs is
provided.
Ellsworth, C. (1997) A study of factors
affecting attrition in late French
immersion
This study attempted to identify the reasons behind student attrition in late
French immersion. It also examined the individual characteristics and situational
factors associated with student withdrawals (gender, points in the school year
associated with higher levels of attrition, age, and number of years since
withdrawal from LFI) in order to find commonalities and patterns relating to
attrition. a written questionnaire was given to 73 students who had transferred
out of the LFI program in one Newfoundland & Labrador school board between
1986 and 1996. The study suggested that student withdrawal resulted primarily
from concerns about academic achievement and the challenging nature of the
LFI program. Findings also showed that a strong, dynamic relationship existed
between the abovementioned situational factors and attrition. Indications
showed that grade 7 students had the greatest risk for early withdrawalfrom LFI.
Furthermore, students tended to leave at year end, rather than mid-semester.
Additionally, males often had more negative perceptions of LFI, but were not
found to drop out in greater numbers than females. Recommendations;
1. That School Boards support teacher efforts to establish contact between LFI
students and French speaking peoples –possibly achieved through travel, guest
speakers, teleconferences or the internet.
2. That guidelines be established for working with students who wish to transfer
to the English stream.
3. That students who wish to transfer to the English stream be interviewed and
required to complete a follow-up questionnaire.
4. That records be kept on attrition in LFI, including student reasons and
counsellor perceived reasons why students transfer to the English stream.
5. That parents be informed of strategies for helping their child in LFI with
homework.
6. That a teacher assistant be utilized, especially in grade 7 where students are
more at risk of dropping out.
7. That programs for providing remedial assistance to students in LFI be
explored. This may be achieved, for instance, through establishing phone help
http://research.library.mu
n.ca/5038/1/Ellsworth_Co
rinneC.pdf
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lines, creating peer tutoring programs, and by involving teacher assistants.
Hart, D., Lapkin, S. , Howard, J. (1994)
Attrition from French Immersion
Programs in a Northern Ontario City:
'Push' and 'Pull' Factors in Two Area
Boards, Modern Language Centre,
Ontario Institute for Studies in
Education; Toronto
This article identifies factors associated with voluntary attrition from French
immersion at the transition point between elementary and secondary school and
throughout secondary school. Student characteristics and attitudes associated
with 'stayers', 'debaters', and 'leavers'. Reasons for learning French, concerns
about marks, levels of social support, and self-assessments of achievement were
all found to be common factors in two boards in the students' decisions to stay in
or leave immersion. [0080]
http://books.google.ca/bo
oks/about/Attrition_from
_French_Immersion_Pro
grams.html?id=6ptINQA
ACAAJ&redir_esc=y
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