French language education in North America

1. French Language Education in North America The benefits of French immersion Other benefits of French immersion programs include being able to speak a second language, being eligible for job opportunities that require bilingualism and being more comfortable with foreign languages when travelling overseas. Still, even avid proponents of French immersion programs -- including Genesee -- admit that they are not perfect: "Students graduate with quite high levels of French competency, but they make lots of errors with verb tense and their spelling is often not good," he explains. Genesee blames the way that the language is taught -- that is, statically, with little real-world integration -- and says that parents can play an important role in how bilingual a French immersion student truly becomes. Practice makes perfect Practising French at home, going on student trips to French communities and spending family holidays in Quebec or other French-speaking areas -- really, anything that forces kids to speak French outside of school -- are all beneficial activities. A more damning criticism is the elitist nature of French program bilingual school. A 2004 Statistics Canada report found that French immersion students are more likely to come from higher socioeconomic backgrounds and to have parents who have a post-secondary education. Visit Us: www. www.aefa-afsa.org