Intensive French in British Columbia: Student and Parent Perspectives and English as Additional Language (EAL) Student Performance

Abstract

This article examines why students participated in British Columbia's first intensive French (IF) program between 2004 and 2008 and what they achieved as a result, with a particular focus on the effect on the French and English language proficiency of English as additional language (EAL) students. Qualitative case studies found that students and parents believe IF affords short-and long-term benefits, especially for education and employment; some, particularly EAL students and their parents, expect advantages related to Canadian citizenship. Oral French proficiency assessments of all IF students (N ¼ 357) found no significant difference between the mean proficiency results of any groups compared, but the distribution of scores showed significant differences between EAL and non-EAL students and between Grade 5 and Grade 6 students in the percentage of students achieving spontaneous communication. English proficiency assessments of EAL students in IF (n ¼ 43) showed their improvement over the school year was significantly greater than that of EAL peers not in IF (n ¼ 43). The implications of this study for inclusion of EAL learners in FSL programs and future research are discussed.

The Suitability of French Immersion for Allophone Students in Saskatchewan: Exploring Diverse Perspectives on Language Learning and Inclusion

“…The parents in this study also provided extrinsic (employment) and intrinsic (identity) reasons for French language learning. Regarding language learning ability, most educators expressed the view that learning French would support the development of English proficiency for allophone learners, which has been documented in previous research (Carr, 2009). However, some teachers and principals argued that a certain baseline of English proficiency was necessary to succeed in immersion, citing the tendency for teachers to use English in their instruction and the predominance of English in the sociolinguistic context of Saskatchewan.…”

Giving Voice to Our Core French Students: Implications for Attrition and the Discourse on the Benefits of Learning FSL in Ontario

“…In response, researchers (Lapkin, Mady & Arnott, 2009) and the Ontario Ministry of Education (2013a) have called for studies examining student engagement in FSL programs. However, while student perspectives have been investigated in other Canadian FSL programs (e.g., Carr, 2009;Germain & Netten, 2004;Mady, 2015;Mady, Arnett & Arnott, 2018;Makropoulos, 2010aMakropoulos, , 2010b, research focusing on the CF student experience remains relatively scarce. Since 2000, only 23% of Canadian FSL research investigating students in the Kindergarten to Grade 12 context has focused on CF learners (Arnott, Masson & Lapkin, 2019).…”

Multilingualism in Canada: Policy and Education in Applied Linguistics Research

“…Moreover, as Mady (2007) documented in a mixed-method study conducted in Ontario, students from non-official language backgrounds were excluded from French as a second language classes, known as Core French, based on the assumption that they could not handle learning two official languages at school. Yet a qualitative case study conducted in British Columbia by Carr (2009) showed that they can perform well in Core French classes while enrolled in English language schools, even in programs where the classes are offered in an intensive format. While culturally and linguistically diverse learners are not included in policy provisions for French second language instruction, neither are they accounted for in discussions of Francophones in federal policy (Prasad, 2012).…”