the achievement of students from french immersion schools

Running head: THE ACHIEVEMENT OF STUDENTS FROM FRENCH IMMERSION SCHOOLS IN ONTARIO: THE VOICES OF FORMER STUDENTS

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The Achievement of Students from French Immersion Schools in

Ontario: The Voices of Former Students

Eva Yu-Ti Huang

#260574607

EDEM 690

Instructor: Tahiya Mahbub

McGill University


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Table of Contents

Introduction ……… …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3

Statement of Problem………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4

Research Questions & Study Purpose……………………………………………………………………….. 4

Rationale/Situating Self…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6

Literature Review……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8

Bilingualism in Canada……………………………………………………………………………………………. 9

French immersion programs in Canada …………………………………………………………………. 10

The academic performance of students in French immersion schools in Canada……. 12

The academic performance of students in French immersion schools in Ontario…… 13

The achievement of students from French immersion schools in Ontario

- The voices of former students……………………………………………………………………… 14

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. . 15


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Introduction

In order to promote learning Canada’s two official languages, Canada started

second language education programs in 1965 (Genesee, 2007). The Quebec community

of St. Lambert, first started French immersion programs in public schools in order to

provide Anglophone children the opportunity of becoming bilingual in English and

French. Different subjects were taught in French by native French-speaking teachers

with the purpose of immersing students in a French school environment. Now, there are

many French immersion schools of different types in most of Canada. After years of

French immersion programs, fewer than 10 % of Anglophones speak French while more

than 40% of Francophones speak English (Statistics Canada, 2001 Census). The benefits

of being bilingual have thus been listed (Canadian Council on Learning, 2007) in order to

encourage more parents to put their children in immersion programs. Different

evaluations of immersion programs have been conducted (Turnbull et al, 2001; Genesee,

1987; Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 81-003-XIE). Many positive results have been

found based on children’s academic performance and points of view of scholars,

educators and policy makers.

With the endorsement of research studies and government statistic numbers,

many parents are eager to put their children into French immersion schools nowadays

(Crandall, 2014). However, the thoughts and experiences of the former students of

these French immersion schools should also be considered and listened to as well. The

accomplishment of education programs cannot only be evaluated by students’ academic


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performance, but also the students’ psychological well-being and also future success in

different parts of their lives.

Statement of Problem

The association between language and power draws children’s attention in their

daily school life (Derman-Sparks et al., 1989). When their first language is not

encouraged in their school life and the immersing language was spoken by the most

powerful figures at school, teachers, how the children will position themselves and their

cultural background flag a big issue. My first language was Taiwanese and I went to a

Chinese immersion school. Taiwanese was not allowed at school and for a big part of my

life, I thought Chinese was superior to Taiwanese. Taiwanese was only spoken by

uneducated people. Although I did very well at school and was one of the top students

at school, I felt that part of my life was missing. I didn’t know how to express myself well

in Taiwanese in a school context. Many Anglophones who have been to French

immersion schools express the same thoughts—it is hard not to go “Franglais” (Français

+ Anglais) while talking about Canadian history. This kind of information cannot be

found on government annual education reports or some current studies.

Research Questions & Study Purpose

All these issues above make me curious about how these students would

evaluate their long-term school years learning in French immersion programs? Since

Ontario is just next to this French-speaking province, Quebec, with the bilingual Federal


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government promoting bilingualism, I would like to know more about the results of

French immersion programs in Ontario. Thus, my research question arises:

How do the former students in Ontario evaluate their life achievements and

accomplishments after years of being in French immersion schools?

Are they really fluent in their own first language and their immersion language? Have

these immersion schools reached the goals that they were designed to achieve? Does

attending immersion schools help the students gain a better future? I would like to

know: 1) what they, the former students, think of being in immersion schools when they

look back 2) whether attending immersion schools before has contributed anything to

the situation they are in presently 3) what would have been different if they had been to

a regular public school where everything was taught in their first language?

As I mentioned earlier, when evaluating the achievements of any education

programs, students’ thoughts and experiences should be considered, especially their

future accomplishments in different aspects of their lives. Thus, the former students of

French immersion programs in Ontario will be my target participants. They are likely to

be already in different types of job markets, and have used what they have learnt from

schools in their lives. Their voices and opinions of French immersion schools should be

very convincing and valuable for evaluating the designs and purposes of these French

immersion schools, and be the last piece of the puzzle in terms of immersion school

evaluation.


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Rationale & Situating Self

Can “the earlier, the better for children’s second language learning” apply to

every single individual? Chavez (2006) pointed out that the best time for people to learn

a second language depends on the difference of each individual. The language process

involves many complex factors (Sarem & Hamidi, 2012). Age is not the single factor that

people should think of in relation to language learning. Adults have been proved to be

able to learn a second language as well as children (Pillar, 2002). Should the parents

make the decision that early for their children on what programs to attend and when to

start in terms of second language learning? We know going to an immersion school is

not the only way to learn French. Other than French immersion (FI), there are also core

French (CF), extended French (EF) and also intensive French (IF) courses offered in

regular public schools in Canada (Lazaruk, 2013). That is how many people in the world

learn their second language—through the regular language courses offered in school.

Although many positive results have been found related to French immersion

programs in Canada, we should note that the two key factors that can predict children’s

language achievement are exposure to conversation as well as the expectation from

adults to children (Berger, 2010). The students in French immersion programs are sent

there with a certain expectation from their parents and thus are more likely to perform

well.

According to pragmatism, thoughts are the results of the interactions between

the peoples and the environments they live. The thoughts then affect the ways they do


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things and solve problems, and further affect their achievements in different aspects in

their lives. We all know education plays an important role in people’s life especially

nowadays, because people can still receive a variety of education programs in their

twenties. By following teachers’ leads, most school children learn rapidly at school and

yes it’s a good time to learn their second language (Chavez, 2006). However, it is also an

important time to gain their self-confidence through their performance at school.

According to Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development, school-age children are at

the stage of competence - industry vs. inferiority (Berger, 2010). During this stage, we

are able to learn and accomplish various new skills and knowledge, thus develop a sense

of industry. This is also a very social stage of development and if we experience

unresolved feeling of inferiority among our peers, we can have problems of competence

and self-esteem. Putting children of this age in an unfamiliar environment with an

unfamiliar language can be problematic if the immersion programs are not well

designed, or well enforced.

It can also be problematic to just focus thoroughly on the numbers, the academic

performance, while evaluating the success of a certain immersion program. The

“consequences” or the “results”, the former students, of the programs should be

consulted as well. Thus, while looking for the pros and cons of French immersion schools

in Ontario, we should not just look at the academic performance of current students,

but also consult the achievements and voices of the former students. Students’

achievements or opinions can be very different due to many types of French immersion

programs, performers (teachers), and recipients (students themselves). If the students’


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narrative opinions and also systematic analysis of larger scale data can be both collected,

a thorough answer to my research question can be found and identified.

Literature Review

As I mentioned earlier, the Canadian government has been making every

endeavor to promote French immersion programs and more and more parents are

eager to put their children in the programs owing to the endorsement of various studies

and statistic numbers. The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages planned to

double the number of young Canadians who can speak both official languages before

2013 (Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, 2005). Whether the goal has

been achieved is unknown, but the exposure to French offered to children and young

adults is increasing in classrooms, and also in different activity settings.

Cognitive research related to bilingualism has found that being bilingual can

foster creative thinking skills (Lazaruk, 2013). Many scholars have agreed that the earlier

the better for children to start learning a second language in order to achieve native-like

speaking ability. However, according to “Myths and realities of French immersion” from

the Canadian Association of Immersion Teachers and Calgary Board of Education (2010),

the goal of teaching FI students to have native like French speaking ability is difficult to

achieve. Teaching children to think bilingually and communicate in two languages

should be the purpose of FI programs. I support bilingualism as well as multilingualism.

Many health benefits related to both have been found and reported. However, I would

like to address again, immersion programs are not the only choice for children to learn a


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second language. As I mentioned earlier, I went to a Chinese immersion school and my

first language is Taiwanese. I feel part of my life is missing. I cannot express myself in

Taiwanese in a school setting. Many people learn their second language at school at a

young age as purely a language course. As long as the course is delivered properly, and

well designed, the children can learn this second language well while enjoying learning

other subjects in their first language.

The options for learning French as a second language include core French,

extended French, intensive French and French immersion (Lazaruk, 2013). Lazaruk has

pointed out that the length of French courses varies in the first three options. There are

also many “extended” French opportunities offered by the government. In Quebec,

there are many universities that offer French camps for children with a very low of

charge (e.g. l’UQTR: Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières), so children can thus learn

their French in summer when they have free time.

Bilingualism in Canada

According to the report “Bilingualism in Canada” from “Office of Commissioner

of Official Languages” (2005), there are 17.7% of the population reporting to know both

official languages, English and French, in 2001. Among them, the portion of bilingual

Francophones is larger than that of bilingual Anglophones. 77% of Canadians think it is

important to preserve these two official languages and 80% of them believe the

government should offer bilingual service to all the citizens. Since the bilingual

population is not very big and yet the majority believe that bilingual services should be


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available to all the citizens, 90% of Canadians agree that people who can speak both

English and French are more likely to be successful and find jobs. With such statistical

numbers, it is no wonder that the Canadian government is eager to promote bilingual

education and parents are anxious about their children’s language abilities. In “French

Immersion education in Canada” from Canadian Council on learning (2007), people who

can speak both French and English can enjoy economic benefits—it is easier for them to

find jobs, cognitive benefits—their brains can function better, and cultural benefits –

they will understand both Francophone and Anglophone cultures.

French immersion schools in Canada

According to “French immersion education in Canada” from the Canadian

Council on Learning (2007), in French immersion, French is not merely a course. Many

different subjects are taught in French. We see different types of French immersion

programs, including early French immersion, starting at kindergarten or grade 1,

middle/ delayed French immersion, starting at grade 4 or 5, and late French immersion,

starting at grade 6, 7 or 8. The difference among these three is the time of literacy

training in their second language and first language. Children in early immersion receive

their French literacy training preceding their English one. Among these three types of

immersion programs, there are total French immersion in which all different school

subjects are taught in French, and also partial French immersion in which the proportion

of classes taught in French varies (usually 50%, but 75% can also be found). Although,

the language proficiency achievement of FI students differs greatly depending on which


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program they are involved, FI shows good approaches on students’ academic learning.

However, FI students do not usually show native-like French ability and proficiency in

speaking and writing (Canadian Association of Immersion Teachers and Calgary Board of

Education, 2010). Also, just like the common situation in regular schools, there is a

certain portion of FI students with different difficulties and learning disabilities. As long

as their needs are noticed and special care is offered, FI students with difficulties do not

show significantly different performances from students with difficulties in regular

schools (Gaffney, 1999). Also, students with different culture or ethnic backgrounds

perform and learn equally well in reading and mathematics (Essama, 2007) as long as

students’ different needs were met and received.

In FI programs, functional use of French was emphasize thus the French linguistic

competences might not be met (Genesee, 1987). Most students show a high level of

French understanding in listening and reading, but speak with different linguistic errors

in French.

After years of immersion programs, FI adolescent students might feel pressure

when communicating in French and thus sometimes show unwillingness to

communicate or express themselves in French due to different complex factors. Special

care and attention should be offered to have their second language learning progress

smoothly and confidently (Macintyre et al, 2011).


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The academic performance of students in French immersion schools in Canada

During the 1970s and 80s, studies were conducted and positive results were

found (Genesee, 2007): 1) Immersion students’ English level, their first language, is the

same (or higher in some cases) as that of the students in regular English schools in

reading, writing, speaking and listening. 2) Immersion students’ results in mathematics

and sciences are also as good as those of students in regular English schools. 3)

Immersion students usually obtain a higher level of comprehension skills in reading and

listening. 4) While learning and understanding French Canadian culture, immersion

students still retain a strong English Canadian identity. We should know these “thorough”

studies were conducted about 20~30 years ago. As well, the evaluation of French

proficiency among these studies was based on school-style language (Lazaruk, 2013)

and thus the results related to FI students’ comprehension skills in French should be

interpreted with caution.

In the review of Genesee and Jared (2008), they pointed out that in early FI, the

ability of students’ first language, English, is a very good predictor of their future

academic performance. Student’s instinct in sounds for English spelling is also used for

their French spelling. It is not surprising since students in FI programs are there with

parents’ expectation. We know the expectation of parents is very influential in

children’s language learning and school performance (Berger 2010). Also the children

with more expectation from their parents are more likely to have sufficient help from

their parents before enrolling in public schools. They might have already listened to


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many bedtime stories, from which children learn syntax, sufficient vocabulary, and good

pronunciation of their first language. Thus these children have more sense in sounds

and spelling. Thus the good performance of FI students on different subjects should not

solely be attributed to the FI programs.

The academic performance of students in French immersion schools in Ontario

Similar positive results were found in a more recent study (Turnbull et al, 2001)

with a focus only on students’ academic performance in English and mathematics in

Ontario. Turnbull and his partners used the results of the Ontario Education Quality and

Accountability Office (OEQAO) tests on students of grade 3 and 6 to analyze students’

performance. Although grade 3 FI students showed a delay in English literacy skills, FI

students of grade 6 achieved performances as good as those of the students in the same

grade in regular schools. Similar findings were found in Gaffney (1999), primary grade FI

students’ English literacy skills were a little bit behind, but being able to catch up after

English language arts was introduced later on (Grade4 and above). In Turnbull et al

(2001), FI students of both grade 3 and 6 performed equally well in mathematics as the

students in the same grade in regular schools. These results were positive and reassured

the effectiveness the immersion schools have offered to most of their students. We

should note that students' cultural identity was left out in this study.

We see that scholars and educators put a lot of effort in evaluating and designing

the best FI programs for their citizens. In “Capacity building Series” (secretariat special

edition #9), the Ontario government listed details for the FI educators and planners to


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follow in order to get the best results out of the students. The Ontario Education Quality

and Accountability Office (OEQAO) tests are regularly held and reported.

The achievement of students from French immersion schools in Ontario- the voices of

former students

We can see that the government of Ontario has expended considerable effort on

different studies and government reports to evaluate the results. However, as I

mentioned earlier, when evaluating the success of a certain education program, not just

the performance of current students, but also their future achievements in the real

world should also be look at. The former students of these immersion schools in Ontario

should thus be studied. Do they really achieve what FI programs have promised them?

What about their psychological well-being at immersion schools back then? Here is my

research question:

How do the former students in Ontario evaluate their life achievements and

accomplishments after years of being in French immersion schools?

Did attending immersion schools help the students gain a better future? What did the

former students think of being in immersion schools when they look back? What would

have been different if they had been to a regular public school where everything was

taught in their first language? Their self-report should be very valuable to be the last

piece of puzzle to FI evaluation.


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Conclusion

After years of effort in FI programs, many studies have been conducted and

positive results have been found. However, the achievement and performance in the

real world of the former students have not been studied or collected yet. We know

being native-like French speakers is hard to achieve even after years of being in

programs. Students’ confidence and competence at expressing themselves in French is

also questionable. Students’ enjoying economic benefits from being bilingual, is

unknown since there haven’t been any studies on former students’ achievements. In

order to complete the research related to the success and the suitability of immersion

programs, former students' achievements and opinions should thus be collected and

evaluated.

The factors related to personal achievements vary and are also complex. Adults

might attribute their personal failures or successes to attending a certain school or

program, to their former teachers etc. so a larger scale of data should be collected to

reassure the reliability of different claims

We should study the achievement of former students to complete the whole

investigation on immersion programs. I support bilingualism and believe in the benefits

that it will bring to most of bilingual speakers. However, is putting your children in an FI

program to learn everything in French really that necessary? Further investigation

should be done. Total Word Count: 3,270


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Berger K.S., 2010. Invitation to the Life Span, Worth publishers, Chapter 7. (pp234-267)

Canadian Association of Immersion Teachers and Calgary Board of Education, 2010.

“Myths and realities of French immersion”.

Canadian Council on Learning, 2007. “French-Immersion education in Canada”.

Chavez, J., 2006. When is the best time to learn a foreign language? Critical issues in

early second language learning (pp. 23-35).

Crandall D., 2014. Parents’ realization and the popularity of immersion school.

Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board.

Derman-Sparks L. et al., 1989. Anti-Bias Curriculum: Tools for Empowering Young

Children. ISBN: ISBN-0-935989-20-X

Essama, L., 2007. Total Immersion Programs: Assessment Data Demonstrate

Achievement in Reading and Math. The Bridge. ACIE Newsletter. November 2007.

Gaffney, K.S., 1999. Is Immersion Education Appropriate for All Students? The Bridge.

ACIE Newsletter February 1999.

Genesee, F., 1987. Learning through two languages: Studies of immersion and bilingual

education. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.

Genesee, F., 2007. French Immersion and At-Risk Students: A Review of Research

Evidence. The Canadian Modern Language Review, Volume 63, Number 5,

August 2007 pp.654-687


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Genesee, F. and Jared, D., 2008. Literacy Development in Early French Immersion

Programs. Canadian Psychology, 2008. Vol. 49, No. 2, 140-147.

Lazaruk, W.A. 2013. “Linguistic, Academic, and Cognitive Benefits of French Immersion”.

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a Second Language: A Qualitative Study of French Immersion Students’

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pages 81–96, Spring 2011

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Ontario Ministry of Education, 2011. “French Immersion in Ontario”. Capacity building

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learning. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 6(2), 179-206.

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Appropriate Time to Start Approaching a Second/Foreign Language”. AEL, Vol. 1,

No. 3, pp. 76-79, 2012

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Immigration, 2001 Counts, for Canada, Provinces and Territories - 20% Sample

Data.


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Turnbull, M., Lapkin, S., & Hart, D. (2001). “Grade 3 immersion students’ performance in

literacy and mathematics: Province-wide results from Ontario (1998-99)”. The

Canadian Modern Language Review, 58, 9-26.

the achievement of students from french immersion schools

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