Ontario Expands Access to French Immersion in High School Starting September 2013

J’aime parler le français!

Because French is one of Canada’s two official languages, students in Ontario’s publicly funded English-language schools are required to study French.

More Ontarians will be thrilled pour communiquer en français starting in September 2013 because Ontario is expanding French immersion programs across the province to give more high school (secondary school) students the opportunity to learn  French, an official langauge of Canada.

Here are the proven benefits for learning French:

• More opportunities for students to pursue bilingual careers

• “Learning a second language strengthens students’ problem solving, reasoning and creative thinking skills”

• “Develop an appreciation of French culture in Ontario”

• “In today’s competitive global market, the knowledge of a second language is increasingly valuable and financially rewarding”

• “Giving our students this opportunity will give them a leading edge to compete for the jobs of today and in the future”

I think a significant number of parents/guardians know about these benefits because it is my understanding that some French immersion programs have long waiting lists for children of elementary schools in Ontario to get into the programs.

Ontario will implement the following changes to the high school French immersion program in order to give Ontario students more opportunities to succeed:

• Starting in September 2013, the language courses that are needed to complete a French immersion program will be offered at the applied level. Currently, these courses are only offered at the academic level.

• Students who take French immersion can also take a variety of subjects in French, helping them to develop strong language skills.

• A revised curriculum for French immersion will be released in 2012 with classes starting in September 2013.

• School boards have the option of offering French immersion programs based on local demands and resources.

• There are about 20,000 high school students taking French immersion in Ontario.

Please click here to read more about learning French in English-language schools.

Bravo!

Ontario, Canada: Newsroom

News Release

Expanding Opportunities To Learn

June 13, 2011

McGuinty Government Expands Access to French Immersion

Ontario is expanding French immersion programs across the province to give more high school students the opportunity to learn a second language.

Starting in September 2013, the language courses that are needed to complete a French immersion program will be offered at the applied level. Currently, these courses are only offered at the academic level.

Students who take French immersion can also take a variety of subjects in French, helping them to develop strong language skills.

This change will provide more opportunities for students to pursue bilingual careers. Giving students of all ages more opportunities to succeed is part of the McGuinty government’s plan to build a well-educated workforce and prepare Ontario for a more prosperous future.

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