Introduction:
In Canada, the number of French immersion programs has increased since they were first opened in the 1960s. Research on bilingualism (Baker, 2011, for example) generally provides positive findings; however despite the years of research and development, French immersion programs still receive criticisms. In this section, we have addressed arguments that describe some of the challenges immersion programs face, which include: students’ lack of fluency in French, programs not representing students’ diversities and higher attrition rates in older grades
French immersion students do not always attain native-like fluency even after several years of immersion education
According to Dr. J. Douglas Willms, Director of the Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy at the University of New Brunswick, “only 10 per cent of French Immersion students achieve proficiency in French by graduation” (Campbell, 2013).
The lack of native-like fluency probably stems from the fact that the use of French language is limited within classrooms. Baker (2011, p.268) argues that because of the adult-student relationships in class, certain forms of language, i.e., colloquial language, are not used. He further points that teachers may focus on students’ subject performance rather than their grammatical accuracy. The classroom environment is not the as same as that of French native speakers. A majority of immersion students speak English as their first language and teachers also do not necessarily speak French as their first language. Additionally, students are not forced to speak French during their recesses or nutritional breaks. Schools value the development of their first language at home and consequently, their language might develop differently from native French speakers. Although schools encourage students to experience Francophone culture outside the school, it is uncertain how much effort immersion students’ families make to read French books, watch French television, or to seek out and speak to Francophones. |
“Dr. J. Douglas Willms, Director of the Canadian Research Institute for Social Policy at the University of New Brunswick, reported in Policy Options magazine, that only 10 per cent of French Immersion students achieve proficiency in French by graduation” (Baker, 2011, p.241) |
“Certain forms of language do not naturally nor regularly occur in the classroom because of adult-student relationships. Teachers may concentrate on subject performance rather than grammatically accurate performance” (Baker, 2011, p.268)
French Immersion classrooms do not reflect the diversity found in most Canadian schools
According to Statistics Canada (2008), 60 % of students in French immersion programs are girls in all provinces except Quebec while the proportion of girls and of boys in English programs is roughly equal in all provinces. In Ontario, students in French immersion programs tend to come from better off families than non-immersion program students. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in the average family background of French immersion and non-immersion programs in four other provinces – Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia (Statistics Canada, 2008).
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“ They are populated with more students from higher socio-economic backgrounds, contain fewer boys and fewer special education students. Dr. Willms found that almost 60 per cent of those enrolled in French Immersion come from families in the highest socioeconomic groups but only 9 per cent from the lowest. Statistics Canada’s report French Immersion 30 Year Later also confirmed that, “students in French immersion programs tend to come from better off families than non-immersion students and found that 60 per cent of French Immersion students are girls” (Campbell, 2013)
Attrition rates are high
If Canada hopes to have an optimal number of bilingual students, their bilingual education has to be supported until students join the workforce; however the attrition rates in French immersion programs are high, especially among students with learning disabilities (Makropoulos, 2010) and students at the secondary level, particularly among those who choose not to go to university after graduation (Beck, 2004; Canadian Council on Learning [CCL], 2007; Halsall, 1997; Makropoulos, 1998, 2007; Mannavaryan, 2002). Research also indicates that secondary French immersion students from Anglophone families tend to be academically oriented and are motivated to get a bilingual education (Blais, 2003; Foster, 1998; Mannavaryan, 2002, as cited in Makropoulos, 2010).
Even after entering university, students find obstacles in pursuing French (CCL, 2008). The most common reasons include timetable conflicts, the lack of confidence in their French language abilities, or the lack of suitable French courses at the university (Canadian Parents for French, 2004). Consequently, many young French immersion students’ language abilities fade over time due to lack of use (see Figure 1). Relatively few immersion students make much use of French after leaving school (Harley, 1994; Wesche, 1993, as cited in Baker, 2011, p.268), except for employment and personal economic purposes. On the other hand, the proportion of Francophones who report knowing English is more than double that of Anglophones who report knowing French. |
The Canada Council on Learning reported that “...special-education services are less often available within French-immersion programs” and attrition rates for French Immersion programs are “particularly high among students with learning disabilities” (Campbell, 2013). “More than 20 per cent of students enrolled in kindergarten “drop out” by grade 5” (Campbell, 2013) |
References:
Baker, C. (2011). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism. 5th ed. Clevedon, U.K.: Multilingual Matters.
Beck, N. W. (2004). Attrition in Late French Immersion: Discussions with six students. Unpublished Master's thesis, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Blais, M. (2003). The significance of French after immersion: A qualitative case study. Unpublished Master's thesis, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Campbell, A. (2013). Why French immersion should be in all schools – or none at all. Global and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/why-french-immersion-should-be-in-all-schools-or-none-at-all/article12999772/
Canadian Council on Learning. (2007). Lessons in learning: French-Immersion education in Canada. Ottawa, ON: The Author. Retrieved May 23, 2010, from http://www.ccl-cca.ca.proxy.bib.uottawa.ca/pdfs/LessonsInLearning/ May-17-07-French-immersion.pdf
Canadian Council on Learning. (2008). Lessons in Learning: Parlez-vous français? The advantages of bilingualism in Canada. Retrieved from http://www.ccl-cca.ca/pdfs/LessonsInLearning/Oct-16-08-The-advantages-of-bilingualism.pdf
Canadian Parents for French. (2004). The State of French-Second-Language Education in Canada: Annual Report. Ottawa: Author. Retrieved September 7, 2006 .
Croll, J. & Lee, P. (2008). A Comprehensive Review of French Second Language Programs and Services within the Anglophone Sector of the New Brunswick Department of Education. Report of the French Second Language Commission. Retrieved June 11, 2008.
Foster, R. (1998). Profile of a group of "successful" bilingual senior high school students. Bilingual Research Journal, 22(2-4), 201-214.
Halsall, N. (1997). Report to the superintendent regarding the review of the organization of French immersion programs in the Eastern School District. Charlottetown, PEI: Eastern School District.
Harley, B. (1994). After immersion: Maintaining the momentum. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 15 (2&3), 229-244.
Makropoulos, J. (1998). A sociopolitical analysis of French immersion developments in Canada: 1960-1995. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Makropoulos, J. (2007). Student engagement and disengagement in French immersion programs: A case study in an Ottawa English Catholic high school. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Makropoulos, J. (2010). Student engagement in an Ottawa French immersion high school program. Canadian Journal of Education, 33(3), 516.
Mannavaryan, J.-M. (2002). The French immersion debate. French for all or all for French ? Calgary, AB: Detselig Enterprises Ltd.
Statistics Canada (2008). French immersion 30 years. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/81-004-x/200406/6923-eng.htm
Wesche, M.B. (1993). French immersion graduates at university and beyond: What difference has it made? In J.M. Alatis (ed.), The Georgetown Roundtable on Languages and Linguistics 1992. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press.
Baker, C. (2011). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism. 5th ed. Clevedon, U.K.: Multilingual Matters.
Beck, N. W. (2004). Attrition in Late French Immersion: Discussions with six students. Unpublished Master's thesis, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Blais, M. (2003). The significance of French after immersion: A qualitative case study. Unpublished Master's thesis, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Campbell, A. (2013). Why French immersion should be in all schools – or none at all. Global and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/why-french-immersion-should-be-in-all-schools-or-none-at-all/article12999772/
Canadian Council on Learning. (2007). Lessons in learning: French-Immersion education in Canada. Ottawa, ON: The Author. Retrieved May 23, 2010, from http://www.ccl-cca.ca.proxy.bib.uottawa.ca/pdfs/LessonsInLearning/ May-17-07-French-immersion.pdf
Canadian Council on Learning. (2008). Lessons in Learning: Parlez-vous français? The advantages of bilingualism in Canada. Retrieved from http://www.ccl-cca.ca/pdfs/LessonsInLearning/Oct-16-08-The-advantages-of-bilingualism.pdf
Canadian Parents for French. (2004). The State of French-Second-Language Education in Canada: Annual Report. Ottawa: Author. Retrieved September 7, 2006 .
Croll, J. & Lee, P. (2008). A Comprehensive Review of French Second Language Programs and Services within the Anglophone Sector of the New Brunswick Department of Education. Report of the French Second Language Commission. Retrieved June 11, 2008.
Foster, R. (1998). Profile of a group of "successful" bilingual senior high school students. Bilingual Research Journal, 22(2-4), 201-214.
Halsall, N. (1997). Report to the superintendent regarding the review of the organization of French immersion programs in the Eastern School District. Charlottetown, PEI: Eastern School District.
Harley, B. (1994). After immersion: Maintaining the momentum. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 15 (2&3), 229-244.
Makropoulos, J. (1998). A sociopolitical analysis of French immersion developments in Canada: 1960-1995. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Makropoulos, J. (2007). Student engagement and disengagement in French immersion programs: A case study in an Ottawa English Catholic high school. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Makropoulos, J. (2010). Student engagement in an Ottawa French immersion high school program. Canadian Journal of Education, 33(3), 516.
Mannavaryan, J.-M. (2002). The French immersion debate. French for all or all for French ? Calgary, AB: Detselig Enterprises Ltd.
Statistics Canada (2008). French immersion 30 years. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/81-004-x/200406/6923-eng.htm
Wesche, M.B. (1993). French immersion graduates at university and beyond: What difference has it made? In J.M. Alatis (ed.), The Georgetown Roundtable on Languages and Linguistics 1992. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press.