Have you been asking yourself if putting your child in the French Immersion program was the right move? Do you wonder if it is still worth their time? Whether they go to a public or Catholic school in Ontario, here are a few key points to help you make an informed decision:
1. Interest and Satisfaction
Assess your child's interest in continuing in the French Immersion program. Do they constantly look for opportunities to use the French language and to apply their learning? Are they interested in travelling to French-speaking places? If so, this is a good indication that the French Immersion program has been a positive influence on their academic journey. Moreover, if they have a genuine passion for the language, culture, and learning in a bilingual environment, it can significantly contribute to their success and enjoyment of the program.
Next, reflect on your child's overall happiness within the French Immersion program. How are their social interactions and friendships at school? If they are excited about going to school and have been having positive experiences, chances are they are generally satisfied with the program.
2. Fluency and Confidence
Even though you may not speak or understand the language, pay attention to your child's fluency and confidence when speaking French with their peers, teachers, friends, and/or family. Are they able to understand and communicate effectively in French? Do they speak fluently and with ease? Are they able to express themselves clearly and accurately? What about their body language? Confidence in using the language is a positive sign of progress and says a lot about their language journey.
Alternatively, if you are having difficulty with assessing your child’s fluency, it is highly recommended that you book a Post-Enrollment Assessment with our French as a Second Language Consultant (FSL Consultant). They can assist you as there are very specific milestones and curriculum expectations that a child must be able to achieve by each grade when in the French Immersion program.
3. Future Goals
Lastly, reflect on your child's future goals, aspirations, and the pathways they may want to consider. If they have specific career aspirations that involve the French language or international opportunities, continuing with the program could be advantageous. However, with that being said, it is important to note that French language acquisition is merely a skill that MUST be paired with a specialization. Specializations can include marketing, project management, translation, engineering, and teaching to name a few. Therefore, do they aspire to be a bilingual marketing specialist, bilingual project manager, bilingual translator, bilingual engineer, or a French Teacher for example? Consequently, as you reflect on whether to keep your child in the French Immersion program, please do keep in mind that whatever career they decide down the road, French is the first step, but not the only step to their future success.
Ultimately, every child is unique, which is why your decision to keep your child in the French Immersion program should take into consideration their level of interest and confidence in the program in addition to their future goals.
With that said, if you need a second opinion, book a Report Card Review with our expert FSL Consultant to see if there are any academic patterns of concern.
Alternatively, book a Post-Enrollment Assessment with our Consultant who will:
assess your child based on the grammatical concepts outlined in the Ontario FSL curriculum for their current grade,
do so by conducting an on-site listening, speaking, reading, and writing test,
give you the results for each test and provide a rubric that highlights the results,
discuss their results with you during a 30-minute post-discussion, and
recommend whether your child should remain in the French Immersion program and provide you with possible next steps.
Our assessment services are for the Durham, Halton, Peel, Toronto, and York regions and are done in the comfort of your home.
If you reside outside of our service area and would like an assessment for your child, kindly email us at support@fairesens.ca.
Not ready to commit just yet? No problem! Consider reading How do I know if my child is excelling in the French Immersion program? for additional support.
Written by Shana Baptiste-Iseyemi
FSL Consultant and Former French Teacher
Mrs. Baptiste-Iseyemi has 10 years of experience supporting students from diverse learning and linguistic backgrounds. She has taught in both the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the York Region District School Board (YRDSB). She has also lived, studied, and worked in Grenoble, France.
She has a Honours Bachelor of Arts in French Studies with a minor in Anthropology from York University. She also has a Bachelor of Education with a focus on French as a Second Language and General Social Sciences from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) of the University of Toronto. Furthermore, she has additional qualifications in Guidance and Career Education and Co-operative Education from OISE. Lastly, she has a Career Strategist Certification with a focus on career development, career planning, and career management from the Career Professionals of Canada.