French Immersion

School District #71 Comox Valley has a vibrant French Immersion program. French Immersion is a program where instruction is offered in the French language for the second language learners. Instruction in the Immersion program will parallel the regular English program in structure, content and academic standards. The major goal of French Immersion is to provide the opportunity for non-Francophone students to become functionally bilingual in French.

What is French Immersion?
French Immersion is an educational program of choice in which students receive much of their instruction in French. Designed specifically for children whose first language is not French, French Immersion is a highly successful approach to second language learning—an effective way for students to become functionally bilingual while achieving all the learning outcomes of the B.C. curriculum.

What is Early and Late French Immersion?
Students enter the Early Immersion Program in Kindergarten and if space permits Grade 1. From Kindergarten through Grade 3, all instruction is in French. With the start of instruction in English Language Arts in Grade 4, students receive 80% instruction in French in Grades 4-7. At the secondary level, students receive 50% instruction in French at the Grade 8-9 level, 37.5% instruction in French in Grade 10 and 25% of French instruction in Grades 11-12.

Many parents choose EFI because language learning poses few problems for the young child and the Early Immersion program capitalizes on the young child's inherent inclination to learn languages. The process of language learning works best when the learner is engaged in vital, necessary communication. Early Immersion works so well because a young child lacks self-consciousness, prejudice and negativism and loves mimicry, memorization and repetition. Early Immersion provides more time working in the second language and more time results in more learning. The success of the target language is directly related to the amount of exposure to it and the child learns to speak with more native fluency. Late Immersion offers students an alternate entry point to the French Immersion Program. The Late French Immersion Program begins at grade 6 and continues to grade 12 with students who have no previous training in the French Language. In grade 6, 100% of the B.C. curriculum is taught in French; decreasing to 80% in Grade 7 when English Language Arts is reintroduced. In Grade 8, Early and Late French Immersion students merge into one program.

What is the French Immersion Program Organization in SD71?
The Comox Valley School District 71, offers two French Immersion options: Early French Immersion, beginning at Kindergarten/Grade One and Late French Immersion beginning at Grade 6. The French Immersion program was created specifically for children whose first language is not French. It is common for parents to have little or no knowledge of the French language. Communication, newsletters home, report cards and parent-teacher conferences are all in English.

Early French Immersion	Late French Immersion
K-3 - 100% instruction in French Gr. 4-7 - 80% instruction in French	Gr. 6 - 100% instruction in French Gr. 7 - 80% instruction in French
Gr. 8-9 - 50% instruction in French Gr. 10 - 37.5% instruction in French Gr. 11-12 - 25% instruction in French

Where is the French Immersion Program located?
The elementary program, Kindergarten - Grade 7, is offered at two locations:

Ecole Robb Road Elementary (a "single track"/French Immersion only school) in Comox École 1909 Robb Avenue Comox, BC V9M2C9 Phone: 2503396864 Fax: 2503396871 École Robb Road Elementary Website

Ecole Puntledge Park Elementary (a "dual track" French Immersion and English school, which also houses the Late French Immersion program, beginning at Grade 6) in Courtenay 401 Willemar Avenue Courtenay, BC V9N3L3 Phone: 250334449 Fax: 2508970487 École Puntledge Park Elementary Website

The secondary program, Grade 8-12:

Grade 8-10 French Immersion students attend Ecole Mark R. Isfeld Secondary, 1551 Lerwick Road Courtenay, BC V9N9B5 Phone: 2503342428 Fax: 2503340659 Mark R. Isfeld Secondary Website

Grade 11-12 students are at Ecole Highland Secondary, 750 Pritchard Road Comox, BC V9M3S8 Phone: 250339552 Fax: 2503390832 Highland Secondary Website

What are the Registration and Entry Procedures?
District orientation sessions are held every year, prior to registration for Early French Immersion Kindergarten and Grade 6 Late French Immersion. This occurs during the months of January and February.

Parents register their child at the school. Admission will be granted in order of registration. Siblings of students already enrolled in the program will have the opportunity to register a day earlier.

The point of entry for Early French Immersion is in Kindergarten/Grade One and for Late French Immersion Grade 6.

How can I help my child at home?
As with any educational program, encourage your child and demonstrate interest in what your child is learning, find ways to expose your child to French language and culture outside of school time, borrow French books from the public library, listen to children's music by French artists, watch some French television programs, or attend local cultural events.

Continue to foster your child’s first language by reading to your child every day. Not only does this develop your child’s world knowledge and vocabulary, but instills a love of language and literature, laying the ground work for life-long learning in French, English or any other languages!

What characteristics will help a LFI student succeed?

• Motivation to learn
• Openness to learning another language
• Eagerness to meet new friends and have new experiences
• Willingness to work hard, especially in the initial fall term when learning basic language skills
• Enjoyment of language activities and a willingness to spend lots of time chatting to friends in class en français!

Why learn a second language?
Studying French enhances a child’s education in many different ways. Research demonstrates that students who successfully complete a French Immersion program attain bilingualism while doing as well as, or better than, their unilingual peers in the content areas of curriculum, including English Language Arts. Learning another language expands communication skills, and gaining fluency in French can have career benefits and/or lead to other educational opportunities. While gaining confidence and proficiency in the language, students also gain an awareness of another culture and a broader view of the world – and with this they naturally develop a better understanding of our society. Finally, many would like their children to have the advantages of learning both of Canada’s official languages.

It also offers post secondary opportunities such as: travel and work experiences in Canada and abroad.

School District No. 71 - Comox Valley
607 Cumberland Road, Courtenay, BC, V9N 7G5
(250) 334-5500

  

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