Information and Inspiration for French Immersion Parents. National Edition
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 416 680 FL 025 075 TITLE Yes, You Can Help! Information and Inspiration for French Immersion Parents. National Edition. INSTITUTION Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Language Services Branch. ISBN ISBN-0-7732-9880-0 PUB DATE 1997-00-00 NOTE 151p.; Printed on blue paper in blue ink. PUB TYPE Guides Non-Classroom (055) Reports Descriptive (141) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Cognitive Style; Educational History; Elementary Secondary Education; Extracurricular Activities; Foreign Countries; *French; Homework; *Immersion Programs; Information Sources; Language Role; Language Skills; Parent Influence; Parent Participation; *Parent Role; Parent School Relationship; Parent Teacher Conferences; Program Design; Resource Materials; Second Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; *Second Language Programs; *Second Languages; Student Attitudes; Study Habits; Vocabulary IDENTIFIERS Alberta; *Content Area Teaching ABSTRACT The guide for parents of French immersion students in Alberta (Canada) public schools is designed to answer frequentlyasked questions and encourage parent participation in the student's immersion experience. Chapters address these topics: terminolcgy (program types,school types offering immersion programs, other terms); reasons forlearning a second language; Canadian immersion education (origins and history ofFrench immersion, early immersion, late immersion, expectations of bilingualism); non-francophone parent assistance to students (preparing the child for immersion, homework, encouraging good study habits, what other immersion parents have learned, learning styles, getting the mostfrom parent-teacher conferences, keeping in touch with the school); reading andwriting instruction and practice; the secondary school years and beyond; the importance of French outside school; the unhappy child; identifying and addressing student difficulties; what students and graduates have saidabout French immersion; French opportunities and resources; and sourcesof further information.(MSE) ****#*************************************************************************** * * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. ******************************************************************************** 4.1111111ftr. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION , Qffice of Educational Research and Improvementnt 2 4113411N/7. EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIO CENTER (ERIC) ,'this document has been reproduced as nl received from the person or organization originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE TI- MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOUR( INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)" youCol HELP? INFORMATION AND INSPIRATION FOR FRENCH IMMERSION PARENTS 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE INA you ea& -r-IEL.isar INFORMATION AND INSPIRATION FOR FRENCH IMMERSION PARENTS NATIONAL EDITION 3 ALBERTA EDUCATION CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION DATA Alberta. Alberta Education. Language Services. Yes, you can help! Information and inspiration for French immersion parents. National edition. ISBN 0-7732-9880-0 1. French languageStudy and teachingAlbertaForeign speakers. 2. Immersion method (Language teaching). 3. French language Study and teaching as a second languageAlbertaImmersion method. I. Title. PC2068.C2A333 1997 440.707123 Copyright° 1997, the Crown in Right of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of Education, Alberta Education, Language Services Branch, 11160 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T5K OL2. All rights reserved. Additional copies may be obtained from the Learning Resources Distributing Centre, 12360 - 142 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T5L 4X9 (Phone: [403] 427-2767; Fax: [403] 422-9750). ii 4 BEST COPY AVAILABLE termsyou're hear'ing? Confusedby all of theeducation started andhow it works., irinersion Wonder why French instruction is in French? the child'when Concerned about helping your parents have learned') immersion Want to know' what other child's suitability for the program? aboutyour Havequestions at the secondary level'' immersion Worried about what happensin and extracurricular activities? resources Looking for information onFrench If you've answered "yes" to any of these questions, this book is for you! There's no denying the vital role that you The authors relied on their joint 30 years of play in your child's learning. Today, more than experience as unilingual immersion parents as well ever before, parents have access through books, as their combined 33 years of work with other pamphlets, speakers, workshops, the media, and parents, educators, and researchers as active the Internet to information on how to effectively members of CPF. support their children's education. The popularity of the book among both Like other parents, you are constantly being parents and educators in Alberta inspired the encouraged to take an active role rather than leave publication of this national edition, now available education entirely to the school system. However, throughout Canada. if you've chosen French immersion for your child, Yes, You Can Help! is meant to be of you may be concerned that you won't be able to assistance not only during the first few years of fulfil that supporting role. Recognizing the need to your child's immersion education but right through provide parents like you with clear and complete to graduation. It's designed as a reference, to be information about French immersion, Alberta taken down from the shelf whenever new stages Education's Language Services Branch and the are approached or new questions arise. We hope it Alberta Branch of Canadian Parents for French will help you put the "French" part of your child's (CPF) collaborated to produce Yes, You Can Help! education into perspective. A Guide for French Immersion Parents (1996). You can help your child in French immersion! ! .) Alberta Education acknowledges with appreciation the contributions of thefollowing individuals: Writers:Pat Brehaut Judy Gibson Members of the Advisory Committee for the National Edition: Eileen Callaghan, Parent, Prince Edward Island Lionel Daneault, Coordinator, Language Programs, School District No.43.(Coquitlam), British Columbia Dorothy Foster, Vice President, Canadian Parents for French (Nova Scotia) Janie Genereux, Educational Consultant: French, Saskatoon Board of Education, Saskatchewan Nancy Halsall, Halsall Measurement and Analysis Inc., Ontario Amir Ibrahim, Educational Consultant, Lakeshore School Board, Quebec Sharon Lapkin, Professor, Modern Language Centre, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, Ontario Sharon McInnes, Parent, Manitoba Kate Merry, President, Canadian Parents for French (British Columbia) Greta Murtagh, Past President, Canadian Association of Immersion Teachers (NovaScotia) Members of the Advisory Committee for the Alberta Edition (1996): Carolle Babin, Agnes Davidson School, Lethbridge Joanne Boissonneault, Calgary French School Budge Burrows, Principal, Varsity Acres School, Calgary Dave Caron, Alberta School Boards Association for Bilingual Education Ian Clark, National Director, Canadian Parents for French, Alberta Branch Joanne Feist, Trustee, Alberta School Boards Association for BilingualEducation Suzanne Gareau-Kubicki, Language Services Branch, Alberta Education Gordon Lowe, Principal, Agnes Davidson School, Lethbridge Elizabeth Marshall, Regional Officer, Office of the Commissioner of OfficialLanguages Bernadette Papp, Ecole Notre-Dame, Bonnyville Kathleen Stevens, Ecole Frere Antoine, Edmonton Ron St -Jean, Principal, Ecole St-Louis de Montfort, Red Deer Claudette Tardif, Vice-doyenne, Faculte Saint-Jean, University of Alberta Graphic artist: Michel Fortier Word processing and layout:Louise Chady Cecile Comeau Project management: Marcel Lava Ilee, Language Services Branch, AlbertaEducation We also wish to thank Canadian Parents for French for providing much of the information in the chapter "French Opportunities and Resources." 2 6 BEST COPY AVAILABLE We hope you will use this book to guide you FOR MORE INFORMIMON and your child throughout the "immersion years." So much has been discovered about teaching Keep it handy and refer to it whenever a question and learning a second language since the inception arises or you and your child enter a new stage of of French immersion over 30 years ago, this book his or her education. is of necessity only a summary of the information now available. TERMS The terms and definitions on pages 8-12 are Throughout the book we have suggested given as they are used in this book. sources of further information. These are men- tioned after the various sections under It is not unusual to find different terms used FOR MORE INFORMATION ,Complete bibliographic in different parts of the country for the same references for these publications can be found on education concept. For example, "continuing pages 141149. immersion" is also known as "post immersion," "secondary immersion," or even "extended The )NOTES,following each chapter provide French." "Secondary" may refer to grades 9-12 in references and, in many cases, a further explanation. one province, grades 7-11 in another, grades8-12 in yet another. PURSE 1ET IS MOW It is always wise to check with your school We want to keep this publication as current or school district for an understanding ofthe terms and relevant as possible. At the end of the book