This article reports analysis of data collected from a quasi‐experimental study in 2 Canadian late French immersion science classes. We examine if, how, and when the first language (L1) is used when students in the first years of their second language learning talk about complex science concepts. We compare differences in groups following a 2‐month intervention. Specifically, we study differences in complexity of oral utterances, and differences in use of L1 in oral utterances after participating in an intervention using a literacy‐based approach, or the typical, district‐prescribed approach. Furthermore, we assess whether increased use of the L1 in complex content statements is positively associated with gains in French and science knowledge. Advanced statistical analyses linked the complexity of student utterances with language use, written skills in French, and performance in science. In this way, this article makes a significant contribution to the existing body of literature on this important topic.

Une minorité peut chercher à manifester sa légitimité en s’affirmant et en luttant pour sa reconnaissance. C’est ainsi que la minorité francophone a livré bataille pour des écoles de langue française. Or, face à des défis démographiques, ces écoles deviennent de plus en plus hétérogènes. Cette étude examine les perceptions d’acteurs scolaires et de parents exogames ayant un enfant en maternelle. Des entretiens avec ces personnes dans neuf écoles du Nouveau-Brunswick ont permis une analyse thématique qui révèle que les acteurs scolaires veulent accueillir ces familles, mais avec certaines réserves. Les parents se sentent, en général, accueillis, malgré une barrière langagière qui limite leur participation. L’ ambigüité est présente et les tensions entre légitimité et inclusion se manifestent au sein de l’école.A minority may try to manifest its legitimacy by asserting itself and by fighting for its recognition. As such, the French language minorities across Canada fought for and gained French language schools. These schools, however, are more and more diverse. This study examines the perceptions of school personnel and of exogamous parents who had a child in kindergarten in a French language school. Interviews were conducted in nine New Brunswick schools. Our thematic analysis reveals that the school personnel wishes to be welcoming toward exogamous families, but they also have certain hesitations. In general, the parents feel quite welcomed by the school personnel, but they also feel that the language barriers hinder their participation. Ambiguity is present and tensions between legitimacy and inclusiveness are manifest within the school

Integrating content and language in French immersion (FI) continues to be a topic of concern and great discussion. Classroom observations suggest that FI teachers tend to focus on teaching content and negotiating meaning in the content-based classroom but often neglect language integration. This article presents the results of a quasi-experimental study that assessed the impact of a literacy-based approach to teaching science in late immersion. This approach includes explicit integration of language and science and draws on literacy-based teaching strategies. Results are encouraging, as the experimental group made gains in science and in writing skills.

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Outside the province of Quebec in Canada, most Francophones live in a minority-language context in which English dominates the linguistic and cultural landscape. In North America and the world, the English language has become the lingua franca of the scientific community and of society, generally. Enhancing the teaching of science for Francophones will require providing a rich array of discursive opportunities in the minority language while moving students from contextualised to decontextualised language. Cormier (2004) developed a model for teaching science to minority Francophone students where reading, talking, and writing are core activities. The authors present a revised model that better addresses the needs of all linguistic minority learners in the science classroom.