Fred Kreiner
Directeur, Bureau de la pratique de l'enseignement
Faculte Saint-Jean
Edmonton, AB
wkreiner@ualberta.ca

Poor Nathaniel!!  You will not be attending French Immersion next year.  Your parents are concerned that you may not be successful in the program and are able to present some valid research that indicates not being successful in immersion can be difficult for you and other children.  I thought it might be useful for you to write them a letter and ask them a few questions about their decision.  Since you are too young to write at 5 years old, I will write the letter for you, but I am going to pretend that I am you.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I understand that you don’t want to put me in an immersion program after reading Ms. Milstone’s article..  Why?  I think you need to ask yourself some questions before you make this very important decision.

What about the many students across the country who have graduated from French immersion programs and are proud of their accomplishments?  What about those students who regret having left the program and are struggling to gain proficiency in a second language that most of their classmates have?  What is it that immersion graduates and their parents have that makes them successful in the program?  Why is immersion blamed when students experience failure in the program?  Where should credit be placed when students are successful in school?

I know that graduates of immersion programs do communicate better in French than students graduating from Core French programs.  There is little doubt that their comprehension skills are solid; in fact, receptive skills of oral comprehension and reading comprehension mirror that of native Francophone students.  Their speech, though not as correct as that of Francophone students, is able to communicate a message much more efficiently than the speech of core French graduates.  Many other countries have adopted the immersion model because the level of proficiency achieved far surpasses that of other language education programs.  I hope you want me to learn a second language. If you do, immersion is one of the best ways to go.  Ms. Milstone’s article even confirms that.

You seem to worry that my spoken French won’t be as good as that of native French speakers if I learn in immersion.  I hope you won’t expect me to become as good in French as a Francophone.  French is my second language!  I may never be as good as someone who learns it as a baby and hears it at home for years before continuing to learn it in school. You are comparing the 3-5 hours of French that I get everyday with someone who lives in French around the clock.  That isn’t fair. You can compare my English to Francophone students French and that would be fair.  You can also rest assured that like most immersion students, my English skills will be as good as or better than those of students in regular English programs.  On top of that, I will be pretty good in French.

What role do you, Mom and Dad, have in making my immersion education successful?  One of the biggest factors differentiating parents who choose to have their children in immersion and those who do not is the confidence that parents have in their own child’s ability to learn another language.  Do you, Mom and Dad, believe I can learn a second language? Was learning a second language difficult for you?  If you guys believe that I am able to master more than one language, as many children around the world do, then why not give me the chance to learn that second language very early on when it is easiest for me?  If you as a parent don’t believe I can learn a second language then maybe I won’t be very good in immersion.  I hope Mom and Dad you believe in me when it comes to other things that I need to learn in life.  You believing in me can make a big difference.
 
Mom you seem concerned that French Immersion is not for everybody.  You are probably right.  There are some students that will encounter difficulties in immersion.  There are also many students who encounter difficulties in their school years who are not in immersion programs.  The question about who is best suited to immersion might be a much bigger question.  Which child is likely to succeed in a school setting?  Is there a larger percentage of students struggling in immersion than there is in the regular English programs?  The experience in New Brunswick appears to suggest that there are more students in the English program that have difficulties in school.  Unfortunately, the simple solution for some parents of struggling immersion students is that the program is the root cause of the student’s difficulties.  How do you explain students that struggle in English programs?  You can’t blame that on the language of instruction, and there are a lot of kids that do struggle in English programs. Sure an English program probably has better supports for children who may struggle in school, but why can’t they be in an immersion school too?  Do people running schools think that students in immersion should get second-class treatment? Though immersion is not for everyone, with proper supports in place, most kids will succeed in the program.  I think I could too.  Transferring me to an English program if I struggle may only transfer the problem not solve it.

Much is said in Carol Milstone’s article about the negative effects that students who have left the program seem to suffer: school related stress and behavioural dysfunction occurred before leaving their immersion program.  Since the equivalent to dropping out of immersion programs would be entering a special education or remedial program in the English stream, to blame immersion for the stress and behavioural dysfunction seems rather shortsighted.  There certainly is stress among many students who are not successful in other school programs.  They too exhibit school related stress and behavioural dysfunction.  To state that immersion makes some young children very unhappy is to deny that children who experience failure and difficulties in other programs may also feel very unhappy.  Is it truly immersion that is the cause of this unhappiness or is it the lack of success?  It is interesting to note that only the effects of children dropping out of the program were looked at.  What were the positive effects on the majority of students who continue and succeed in the program?

In later years, students cite other reasons for dropping out of immersion: a limited choice of subjects, dissatisfaction with the quality and content of the program, difficult courses and better grades that can be obtained in the English program, more easily.  Well I hope you don’t always let me take the easy route.  Sometimes the extra effort has its rewards at the end.  Hard work and perseverance are attributes that are common among immersion graduates and these are skills and attitudes that I will need to develop as a responsible citizen.  As for the quality of programs, certainly this is an area that school administrators need to address.  The decision to offer a variety of immersion courses is not mine or yours, but that of school boards and administrators.  In areas of the country where there are significant numbers of FI students, surely, comprehensive and interesting course offerings can continue right through to university level education.  If these programs are not there for me Mom, maybe you and Dad need to start fighting to get the best possible educational opportunities for me through the political process.  That is how immersion programs started.  Parents pushed and got governments to listen.  I hope you guys will do the same to make sure I get the best education possible.

Some parents are also concerned about how learning in French may affect how children function at university or in the workplace.  You know, it just isn’t a problem.  A lot of science and technical jargon comes from Latin, so the words are the same in French and English.  Since I am learning concepts, it doesn’t matter whether I learn in French or English, just that I learn.  The basic math skills I have can easily be applied in either language later in life.

I understand Mom and Dad, that you are worried you won’t be able to help me with my homework.  Boy that is a bummer for me.  It means I have to pay attention in class so that I can do things myself at home.  I know teachers in immersion don’t expect me to get parental help for homework, only that I have a place and supervised time set aside to do my work at home.  Maybe immersion isn’t a good idea because it sure would be easier if I could just get you to do my homework for me.

Some parents choose to opt out of immersion because of their disappointment that the language is not used extensively outside of the classroom.  Well if you only want me to go to school so that I am not in your hair during the day, perhaps an English program is the best for me.  If on the other hand, you choose to make schooling and education an important part of family life, there is a myriad of opportunities to expose me to French outside of the classroom.  This is not the exclusive responsibility of the teachers and schools.  Some parents involved in Canadian Parents for French learn how to enhance their children’s appreciation and understanding of French culture by getting involved in French activities outside of school hours with their children.  If you want me involved in dance, why not a French dance troupe?  I could learn set carrés, dos à dos  and things like that.  Beavers is a fun program for many young children, and Les Castors exist as well if you are willing to seek out the nearest group.  When you plan a holiday, why not go to Haiti rather than Mexico and allow me to experience a different French culture first hand?  I have heard that other immersion students have been a huge help to their parents when traveling in French speaking countries.  You will be surprised at how quickly I adapt to language nuances when exposed to native speakers on a more regular basis than just a few hours a day at school with one or two teacher models.  I will be glad to help you order in the restaurant, or talk to the hotel maid if there is a problem.  If I don’t use French as much as you would like outside the classroom, you should really be asking yourself what real-life opportunities you have provided me to make use of that language.  Don’t worry Mom, I won’t talk French to you, cause you don’t understand.

I think there may be another good reason for me to learn French Mom.  Learning a language is also about opening up my mind, and developing parts of me that I didn’t know existed.  People who speak two languages find it easier to speak three and four languages.  The world is getting to be a smaller place and I want to be able to communicate with others in their language so that I can understand them, and not depend on them trying to understand me.  It isn’t just about speaking the same language, but also recognizing and appreciating other cultures.  I need to learn about that, and I think immersion could be a great place to start.

While there is no crystal ball for predicting success in French Immersion, there are some indicators that should be considered.  Since immersion is intensive language learning, certainly students who develop strong first language skills are more likely to be successful in immersion.  I hope you think I speak English well for a 5 year old.  Please Mom, encourage me to do what I can in school.  In any other program, the interest that the parent takes in the child’s work and learning is one of the major factors in that child’s success or failure.

I hope, Mom and Dad that you have thought about these questions.  You have a tough decision to make for me.  If you have thought them through clearly, then I think that you will agree immersion can provide me with a second language very early in life.  All it takes is some commitment on your part to make that immersion experience as successful as possible.

Love,

 Nathaniel

Send this letter to them.  If your parents really don’t want to put you into immersion, here is the way I see things.  Your parents don’t believe you can do learn a language like a lot of other little children do.  They are unwilling to fight for good programs and remedial services for you.  They are unwilling to make a commitment to your education outside of the school setting that will provide you with opportunities to further develop your school- based learning.  Your parents may also be concerned that French Immersion is not the best way to learn languages so lookout, they are paying more attention to a small piece of research and ignoring the much larger volume of academic research that confirms Immersion as an excellent language learning opportunity.  Their critical analysis skills seem to be questionable.  They believe that if you are not doing well in immersion it is the program's fault, without trying to explain the many students who do not do well in the English programs.  Your parents may not be convinced that you speak English well enough and you’re only 5 years old.

Poor Nathaniel.  Your parents aren’t really on your side.  Enjoy your unilingual life.