French Immersion Information - Overview of the Programs
Residents of the Grand Erie District School Board may select from three approaches to French instruction:

• the mandatory 40 minute daily program of Core French beginning in Grade 4;
  an optional total Early Immersion program beginning in JK-Grade 8 (available at Dufferin School and Fairview School in Brantford).
• an optional Secondary French Immersion program for Grades 9 to 12 (available at Brantford Collegiate Institute and Vocational School)
• "The Core French and French Immersion programs differ in intensity but share a common purpose: to develop students' oral communication (listening and speaking), reading, and writing skills in the French language."

The FSL programs will benefit all students regardless of whether or not they plan post-secondary studies in French. There are, however, significant differences in focus and in the language competence expected of students in each course. Generally, the choice of which program a student selects is determined by the total number of hours of French instruction accumulated by the end of Grade 8 (600 for Core French and a minimum of 3800 for French Immersion). The longer exposure to French instruction provided by the Immersion program allows students to acquire a greater knowledge of the language and greater effectiveness in its use." The Ontario Curriculum, French as a Second Language.

Core French

The Core French program is offered from grades 4 to 8 in every school for 40 minutes each day. In the secondary schools, a student must earn at least one credit in French to obtain an Ontario Secondary School Graduation Diploma. In grades 10 to 12, students may choose an additional academic Core French course each year. Both the Ministry of Education and the Grand Erie District School Board value the Core French program which provides students with relevant learning experiences to develop their oral communication, reading, and writing skills in French. Students in the Core French program will demonstrate a working understanding of information heard and read and will be able to speak in familiar situations.

French Immersion Programs

The aim of the French Immersion program is to:

• Provide a quality educational program that meets the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum, both elementary and secondary
• Develop and refine students' ability to communicate( understand, speak, read and write) with confidence in the French language
• Help students understand and appreciate Canada's francophone heritage and the French culture and language throughout the world
• Expand students' knowledge of the language through the study of francophone literature and research

By the end of the four-year French Immersion program in secondary school, students will:

• Participate easily in either language, at home, work or travel
• Be able to pursue post-secondary studies, or accept professional training in either French or English
• Be able to undertake employment in both French and English