Are there any
other French programs?
Yes. In Saskatchewan, from kindergarten
to grade 12, you can find the following French-language programs:
• French immersion
• core French (basic French)
• intensive French
• Fransaskois (Francophone or French-first-language) Schools
At the post-secondary level, students
and adults can learn or continue with their French in Saskatchewan
at:
• The University of Saskatchewan
• St. Thomas More College
• The University of Regina
• SEFFA
• Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Sciences and Technologies (SIAST)
• And many communities offer independent classes or informal
gatherings for adults to learn and/or practice their language
skills.
What is
core French?
Core French is a second-language program in
which French is taught as a subject or course for one period a
few times a week within the English stream program. It is a
program in which the desired outcomes for students are:
• A good foundation in French
from which to pursue fluency
• Insights into and an appreciation of Francophone cultures
both in Saskatchewan, Canada and the world
• A program most commonly offered as early as grade one
supported by a provincial curriculum
In the core French program, students
develop basic oral comprehension and communication skills. At
the primary level, there is a strong emphasis on helping students
develop the oral communication skills they need to understand
and interact with others. Many of the skills developed in lower
grades continue to be developed and refined as students move on
through the grades. In the core French program, students advance
through an organized sequence of learning experiences that permit
a steady growth of knowledge and skills.
The amount of French studied in
a school year per week varies with school jurisdiction. Some programs start in elementary school, while
others begin in high school. French is usually offered as an option
at the high school level.
What is
the difference between core French & French immersion?
In core French, your child learns French as a specific subject
within the curriculum of English-language schools. In French immersion
programs, ideally all activities and learning, except for English
language art classes, are in French.
What are
quality core French programs?
A good core French program should:
• Begin early in elementary
school and continue through secondary school
• Include at least 40 minutes of instruction daily
• Be taught by a teacher who is fluent in French
• Use French as the language of communication in the classroom
• Follow a curriculum emphasizing communicative skills and
vocabulary suitable to the age and interests of the students
• Provide opportunities to use French in communication with
native speakers
• Have French-language materials in the school library at
a level that the students can read and understand
• Provide out-of-classroom opportunities to use French
• Include written and audio-visual materials that foster
an appreciation of the cultures of French-speaking people
Are the
results from core French programs very different from French
immersion?
Yes. Students can achieve a moderate level of proficiency in core
French programs while graduates of early French immersion are
expected to be functionally bilingual.
What is intensive French?
Intensive French, otherwise known as intensive core French, is
defined as an enrichment of the core French program by the creation
of a period of intensive exposure to French, which enables students
to receive, in one school year up to four times the number of
hours of instruction normally devoted to French. It is a program
where the class instruction is carried on in French 65% to 80%
of the school day, usually incorporated into the core French program
in grades five or six for a period of five months, usually from
September to the end of January. This integrates two different
concepts: amount of time and concentration of teaching. Three
important consequences follow:
• The enrichment of the curriculum
• A change in the pedagogy or methodology used by the teachers,
and
• The compacting of the regular curriculum
Intensive French is not a replacement
of French immersion, but an added enrichment to the core French
program and experience.
What are Fransaskois schools?
Fransaskois (Saskatchewan Francophone or French-first-language) schools are designed for
students whose first language is French or who want to learn it
as a first-language if they are eligible according to article
23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom. The program
is offered in a distinct and homogeneous French school. Students
are addressed in French at all times and in all places, and all
information by the school to the parents is in French. There are
13 Francophone schools throughout Saskatchewan, governed by the
Division Scolaire Francophone no. 310.
