Title: Immersion Education in Canada: Stability and Change
1Immersion Education in Canada Stability and
Change
- Peter MacIntyre
- Cape Breton University
- Presented in Graz, Austria Sept 24, 2008
- at the European Centre for Modern Languages
2Outline
- The language map of Canada
- Describe French Immersion Approach
- Support and Criticism of Immersion
- State of Immersion in Canada Report (2006)
- Recent Controversy in New Brunswick
- Canadian Parents for French
- Conclusions
3Languages in Canada
- English 21.8 million speakers
- French 7.2 million speakers
- Approximately 5.5 million English - French
bilingual (17 of population) - Much more common for L1 French (43) to be
bilingual than L1 English (9)
4(No Transcript)
5Bilingualism Map of Canada
6Other languages in Canada
- Next 4 Chinese, Italian, German Punjabi
- There are 50 - 70 Indigenous languages in 11
language families - Small, rural communities
- Most are in critical decline
- Only 3 likely to survive
- (Cree, Inuktitut, Ojibway, all have 20,000 to
70,000 speakers) - Immigrants, L3 issue
- Especially prevalent in large cities
- Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver
- Language issues remain primarily English French
- Official bilingualism is promoted and practiced
by Canadian Government.
7Immersion Education in Canada
8Core Features of Immersion
- Swain and Johnson (1997) list 8 core features of
Immersion - 1. L2 is medium of instruction.
- 2. Immersion curriculum parallels local L1
curriculum. - 3. Overt support for L1.
- 4. The program aims for additive bilingualism.
- 5. Exposure to L2 largely confined to classroom.
- 6. Students enter with similar (and limited)
levels of L2 proficiency. - 7. Teachers are bilingual.
- 8. Classroom culture is that of the local L1
community.
9Types of French Immersion Programs in Canada
- Early French Immersion
- begins in Kindergarten or Grade 1 (age 5 or 6)
and is characterized by 100 French instruction
from beginning through Grade 2. - Middle Immersion
- begins in Grade 3 or 4 and usually starts with a
level of French instruction around 80. - Late Immersion
- begins in Grade 6 or 7 with about 60-75 French
instruction. - All three types have been shown to be effective
- Early Immersion has some advantage.
10Characteristics of Immersion
- Immersion education began in Quebec in 1960s
- English-speaking parents
- Built by parents, educators and psychologists
- Bilingualism reported among 25 of Canadian young
adults aged 18-29 - 3 of 5 immersion students are girls
- Immersion students outperform non-immersion
students in L1 reading - French immersion students tend to have higher
socio-economic status backgrounds
11Additional Factors
- Immersion programs are more easily available
- in more affluent communities
- and in Eastern Canada
- Self-selection of students
- less-skilled students may be transferring out of
immersion programs - enriched learning environments, positive peer
effects
12Support and Criticisms of French Immersion
- Immersion supports bilingualism
- but not native-like fluency
- Public sometimes complains about use of federal
funds - - education is a provincial responsibility in
Canada - Support - skill in the French language
- eligibility for future jobs
- helps to promote French culture
- Criticism perceived as having limited access
- voluntary nature of program
- Immersion students not completely fluent
13STATE OF IMMERSION (2006)
- Report from the
- Canadian Council on Learning
14Immersion Participation Rates
15Rates of French-English Bilingualism in Canada
16Results of Immersion programs
17Improving Immersion Education
- Education system must focus on
- 1. recruitment of qualified teachers,
- 2. finding or developing curricula and teaching
materials that are up to date and relevant for
todays youth, - 3. maintaining secondary immersion programs
despite the lack of teaching resources in
courses, - 4. recruiting immersion students among Aboriginal
and new Canadians.
18Contd
- Gaps exist with
- access to transportation,
- provisions for developing written goals for
student achievement in FSL, - defining qualifications for FSL teachers,
- developing models regarding the cost of providing
FSL programs.
19Suggestions for Immersion in Canada
- Increase the supply of qualified French-immersion
teachers - Need French Specialty (e.g., Sciences)
- Work to reduce attrition rates among students,
especially after grade 8 - Increase participation rates among immigrant
students
20Controversy in New Brunswick
- Canadas only officially
- bilingual province
21Controversy in New Brunswick
- March 2008 NB Education Minister Kelly Lamrock
announced that the province would be eliminating
its early immersion program. - Dr. James Croll and Patricia Lee released their
review of the programs, including 18
recommendations. - NB branch of Canadian Parents for French called
for one-year moratorium on changes to early
immersion and early core French.
22Croll and Lee Report (2008) 7 of their 18
Recommendations
- 1) French programming for Anglophone children
begins at Grade 5 with Intensive French. - 2) Late Immersion first offered beginning in Gr.
6 - 6) All academic materials for classroom use be
available in French and English at the same time. - 7) That comprehensive evaluations be carried out.
- 14) University training courses be reviewed.
- 17) Parents be informed of the L2 employment
criteria for both the Provincial and Federal
governments. - 18) Retain target of 70 of high school graduates
function effectively in speaking their 2nd
official language.
23Canadian Parents for French
- Powerful group of parents
- David Brennick - CPF Vice-President
- Served on Board of CPF-Nova Scotia initially as a
director before completing a two year term as
president. - Currently Co-ordinator of Student Services with
the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board in
Eastern Nova Scotia - Director of the Network for
- Children and Youth,
- Eastern Nova Scotia
- Successful in altering govt policy
- Some changes are likely
24A Challenge for CanadaLanguages other than
English and French
- Swain and Johnson (1997) note the rapid growth of
highly diverse populations in large Canadian
urban centers. - Increase in L3 learners
- programming needs to change to recognize home
languages other than English.
25Conclusions
- Immersion is well respected in Canada
- Especially if goals are realistic ones
- Enrollments are stable, slightly increasing
- Some locations are better than others
- Qualified teaching staff materials are issues
- Especially in higher grades
- Attrition is a concern
- Some challenges remain
- Provincial vs Federal roles
26Immersion Education in Canada Stability and
Change
- Peter MacIntyre
- Cape Breton University
- Presented in Graz, Austria Sept 24, 2008
- at the European Centre for Modern Languages