Have you been asking yourself if it is worth putting your child in the French Immersion program? Do you need someone to explain the possible drawbacks so that you can make an informed decision? Whether you are considering sending them to a public or Catholic school in Ontario, here are a few disadvantages to consider:
1. Teachers and Resources
Unfortunately, due to the lack of trained teachers at the French Immersion level, especially for elementary schools, there will be times when your child may go without a qualified teacher if their teacher goes on a maternity leave or medical leave for example. In fact, sometimes principals are not able to find a teacher to teach a grade and/or subject so they rely on substitute teachers throughout the academic school year and/or hire a Core French qualified teacher to fill in. As a result, your child's teachers’ language abilities may differ vastly from subject to subject when in the same school, from academic school year to academic school year, and even from school to school.
Moreover, there are not as many resources for French Immersion teachers making it rather difficult for them to properly teach certain subjects or concepts. Therefore, they must make whatever they need themselves or rely on the English version of the materials.
2. English Language
Being that the point of the French Immersion program is to be fully or partially immersed in the French language, the English language as a subject is usually not taught until grade 3 or 4, when your child is approximately 9 or 10 years old, in most school boards. As a result, it would be highly recommended that you supplement their English language learning should you choose this option if you do not want to wait for the program to do so. Therefore, it is not enough to just have your child hear and see the language by living in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) or interacting with family members and friends. You would need to focus on introducing and incorporating resources for academic purposes so that they can read, write, speak, and understand the English language accordingly.
3. Tutoring
Are you prepared to pay for tutors throughout your child’s language learning journey? If so, great. However, please note that there are a few things to consider. For example, if your child struggles with grade 4 mathematics in French, they would need a tutor who specializes in elementary mathematics but whose services are also in French. Moreover, Ontario Certified Teachers tend to charge $50-80 per hour or more depending on their years of experience, so if your child is struggling in multiple subjects being taught in French, be prepared to pay for multiple tutors.
In the end, every child is unique, so what works for one may not work for another. This is why you must weigh these potential disadvantages against the benefits of the program when making a decision about the French Immersion program.
With that said, if you need additional support, book a Pre-Enrollment Consultation with our expert French as a Second Language Consultant (FSL Consultant), as they will:
inform you of all the available FSL program options in your preferred school board,
provide you with comparisons of all existing programs in that school board,
explain the possible setbacks for each program in addition to other disadvantages of the French Immersion program,
give you the opportunity to ask them questions afterwards, and
recommend one program based on your child’s specific situation.
Our consultation services are for the Durham, Halton, Peel, Toronto, and York regions and are done over the phone.
If you reside outside of our service area and would like a consultation 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 the French Immersion program is right for my child? or Does the French Immersion program guarantee more job opportunities? 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 of the University of Toronto. Finally, she has a Career Strategist Certification with a focus on career development, career planning, and career management from the Career Professionals of Canada.
Commentaires