French immersion opinion
Related Topics
Christian Drug RehabDrug Rehab CenterHelping Adolescents | Helping TeenagersParent CoachingParent Hotline |
jag ...@yahoo.com (jagoaw)
Hi all, I would like some views on how parents who are English speaking only are coping with French Immersion program.
How do you help with homework? Are your Children able to cope well?
From my prospective the current system did not meet our needs. I really want my children to be bilingual but they way the french immersion program is structured it is very difficult for us.It is totally french and slowly english is introduced. Both my children were VERY uncomfortable with going to cl*** which is totally french and I had to pull them out out of french program and place them in the english program. Both Both are A students so it was not a learning issue (which the school seem to point at).I would really prefer the program to be 50/50, so that I can help or monitor the english portion and have time to catch up and help without with the French part. The current system from my prospective is making it difficult for English speaking children to get french training which makes it more difficult to get jobs in the future. With current problems in the education system parent involvement is essential for success- but how can a parent help when he/she cannot even speak a word of french..
If Ottawa is truely a bilingual City then why not have schools teach in both official languages right from kindergarten.
Marc Bissonnette drag...@internalysis.com
Because immersion is the best way to teach french; I was in french immersion as a child (Stephen Leacock P.S. in Kanata) and we weren't even allowed to speak English in the halls until grade 6 :) The best method for parents to help their kids with their homework is to learn the language right along with them. Yes, it means a little extra effort, but more importantly, it helps reinforce the language with your children, since they'll be the ones teaching you (which also boosts their self confidence).
My own French has gotten quite rusty after all these years in Toronto, but you can always, _always_ tell the difference between kids who learned french via early immersion (i.e. kindergarten), late immersion (gr 6 and up) and those who just took a couple of cl***es in H.S. (the early immersion students _always_ have a better command of the language.
Your suggestion of a 50/50 program is not an immersion program, therefore your kids will not learn the language as readily or quickly as those who remain in the full immersion programme.
Also, despite my family name, the language spoken at home in my youth was strictly English, but my mom still helped us with the homework by learning enough french to help with the problems.
In response to your question: The answer is easy: Learn French! :) :) :) (It's a beautiful language to speak and is useful to know, no matter at what age you start)
--
-----------------------------
Marc Bissonnette Internalysis - Intelligence in Internet Communications http://www.internalysis.com
"RB" radicalbo...@hotmail.com
Kids learn languages like wildfire until they hit adolescence, then it becomes much more difficult.
Immersion in French and other languages in the early years provides for a remarkable opportunity to acquire second language skills.
RB ...
"Julie Ross" ju...@home.com
I remember reading that its actually before puberty that kids can absorb a langauge the best, of course some are early and others late bloomers. For some as early as 9-10 others as late as 16-17. So it all depends on whi it is. :)
"jagoaw" jag...@yahoo.com
The problem is see is that you learn by being exposed to the language. In childhood most canadians in Quebec have exposure to english while people outside have limited or none.
I think ***uming that ALL kids will learn when fully exposed in school is not always true.
--
cheers, jag...@yahoo.com ...
"Radical Boink" radicalbo...@hotmail.com
Uh. Perhaps I was mixed up about the meaning of the word "adolescence" then.
To me it refers to the period "from the onset of puberty until maturity." Thus, when I said "kids learn languages like wildfire until they hit adolescence" I would consider that synonymous with what you remembered reading (i.e. kids absorb language best before puberty).
RB
"Julie Ross" ju...@home.com
Weather it is in school or at home, a child will retain more when it comes to language then most adults can.
If it wasn't for my dad only speaking English I certainly wouldn't have learnt it otherwise.
I had English in school in Quebec taught to me by a Frenchmen who hardly knew the language himself. I would correct his mistakes frequently.
I think ***uming that ALL Canadians in Quebec have exposure to English in not even close to the truth. Living in Gatineau I certainly had English exposure, living so close to Ottawa and all but someone living elsewhere in Quebec doesn't have that advantage.
"Julie Ross" ju...@home.com
DOH!!! You got me there. :) ...
"TPG" jus...@pollackgroup.com
Just be careful....I took immersion through to University and I am grateful for my bilingualism, however, you will have to do your own math tutoring in English for your children.
French math is calculated differently than in English.....I took it in french for the longest time and when I finally was moved to an English cl*** I found that I was completely lost. Also there will be some difficulty in English cl***es as well, as in French there are masculine and feminine words while there are none in English....very confusing to a child learning two languages at the same time. It's hard for a child to understand that languages invariable have their own distinctive set of rules, especially when they are taught at an early age that there are sets of rules (in life, in general) that everyone must follow.....you can see how the confusion would set in.
ANUBIS ...
| To Top |