Did you know speaking a second language can positively influence learning in general?
And it’s never too late for SD42 students to become fluent in Canada’s other official language. ?Students now in Grade 5 are eligible for the Late French Immersion program at Golden Ears Elementary in September 2017.
“Many of the students who choose to enter Late French Immersion are looking for a new challenge and a new language choice – and so they are motivated to learn,” said Shelley Linton, principal of Ecole Laity View Elementary and French Immersion coordinator for SD42.
“So you’re surrounded by motivated students. We’re living in a bilingual country so learning the second official language gives you many more educational and career opportunities.”
The two-year program provides an excellent opportunity to learn a new language and also guarantees students placement in the French Immersion program at Maple Ridge Secondary.
When students enter the classroom in Grade 6 for Late French Immersion, the teacher says “Bonjour” and begins speaking French to them 100% of the time.
“The teacher makes it fun. There’s a lot of student participation in Late French Immersion,” she said. “The curriculum is the same as the English program, only the courses are in French.”
By the time students complete Late French Immersion at Golden Ears, they are prepared to start the Secondary French Immersion program at MRSS alongside students who began French in kindergarten.
Linton says many French Immersion students go on to study other languages.
“What we find is that they often want to learn a third or a fourth language. At MRSS, a lot of students in Spanish and Japanese are French Immersion students,” Linton said, adding that “academically, French Immersion students tend to do very well. There are many benefits of choosing Late French Immersion.”
Want to learn more?
- A Late French Immersion information night takes place January 31, 2017 at Golden Ears Elementary (activity room) from 7-8 pm.
- To see the Late French Immersion program in action, visit Golden Ears Elementary between 8:30 and 10 am on February 3, 2017.
Registration for Late French Immersion opens at 7:30 am on February 7, 2017 at Golden Ears Elementary on a first come, first on list basis.
For more information, contact Shelley Linton at 604.463.7108 or shelley_linton@sd42.ca
SD42 empowers students to discover their unique learning paths by offering more than 30 specialized programs of choice, from International Baccalaureate and sports academies to trades and technology. Download our Programs of Choice booklet.
