Why should
I stay through to grade 12?
It is important to remember that
French immersion programs are designed to extend through to
grade 12. The skills students learn in the early grades are the
building blocks for the development during the secondary years
of more sophisticated thinking and communicative skills in French.
By continuing in French immersion in secondary school, students
maintain and extend their French skills. The French immersion
program is designed to maximize the time spent using French.
In secondary classes, concepts, strategies, literature, technology,
and global issues are discussed in depth in the French-language.
How will
my French skills influence my career path in Saskatchewan?
Studies have shown that students who learn another language develop
keen analytic, restructuring, and divergent thinking skills. No
matter what field students may enter in the workplace or in post-secondary
institutions, the ability to read in another language opens doors
to a wealth of valuable resources. As the job market and the workplace
change due to increasingly global situations, it has become extremely
important to have a thorough knowledge of at least one other language.
Students who continue in French
immersion to grade 12 have strong French skills, allowing them
to compete for jobs. Students who withdraw from the program
after elementary school may not have a sufficient level of proficiency.
We live in an officially bilingual country, having proficiency
in both official languages is obviously an added value that opens
doors.
What do French immersion
graduates have to show for their efforts?
In Saskatchewan, students who have completed 50% of their high
school credits in French will have a special notice on their transcripts.
Individual boards of education can then grant a bilingual diploma
to these graduates. All post-secondary institutions in Saskatchewan
accept Français 30 as one of the two language art course
required for admission. Advance credit in French is accepted by
many universities.
What about
continuing French at the post-secondary level?
In Saskatchewan, the University of Regina offers the 'Baccalauréat
en éducation' program for students wishing to pursue a career
as a French teacher. The Institut Français at the University
of Regina also coordinates a range of courses taught in French
both locally and through high tech connections to French-language
post-secondary institutions elsewhere in Canada so students can
complete degrees or diplomas with a high French content. The University
of Saskatchewan offers some undergraduate and graduate courses
in French-language and literature. The Governments of Canada and
Saskatchewan cooperate to provide bursaries for qualified students
who wish to study in French at institutions in Saskatchewan as
well as in other provinces.
Do you know
of anyone who regrets being bilingual?
Completing something you start is an important concept in life.
Students who complete their studies in French immersion are extremely
proud of their accomplishment – the ability to complete
an educational goal tends to stay with one into future endeavors.
So consider this: 5, 10, maybe 15 years down the road, when opportunity
knocks, you can’t just put everything on hold while taking
a year or more to study French. Studying French at the high school
and post-secondary levels means you will already have that added
value.
