Late French Immersion Information Meeting

Is your child interested in Late French Immersion? Join us for an important information meeting regarding the SD83 Late French Immersion Program (LFI), which starts in Grade 6. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at 6 p.m. at Shuswap Middle School.

French Immersion Coordinator Megan Weir explains that learning a second language has numerous benefits for students, including the development of listening and learning skills, as well as fostering self-discipline. “It also opens up future opportunities for employment and job advancement.”

During the meeting, principals, District staff, and teachers will provide information about LFI and offer registration information. SD83’s Immersion programs (both Early and Late) are designed for students from any catchment area in SD83 whose first language is other than French. Parents do not need to be able to speak French for their child(ren) to be in the program.

Students who remain in the program until Grade 12 and graduate receive a bilingual Dogwood Graduate Certificate.

The French Immersion program does not operate separately from the regular operations of Shuswap Middle School. Students enrolled in the French Immersion program will participate in regular school activities.

Following the meeting, a link to an online form will be shared with all families in attendance. This form indicates a family’s commitment and intent to register in the program.

The number of Grade 6 LFI classes will be determined based on enrollment numbers. If there are between 24 and 28 students, there will be one class. If the enrollment falls between 48 and 56 students, there will be two classes. The online sign-up form will assist in determining the number of classes required. If the enrollment numbers do not align with either scenario, an alternative process will be discussed during the meeting.

Questions? Please contact Lara Matthews, Vice Principal of Shuswap Middle School at (250) 832-6031 or Megan Weir, French Immersion Coordinator, at (250) 832-3741.

Some commonly asked questions about French Immersion

What are the benefits of learning a second language? 

• Learning a second language:
  • develops your child’s listening and learning skills as well as their self-discipline. 
  • increases their cognitive abilities by helping them to become more flexible thinkers.
  • enhances their knowledge of and their ability to communicate in their first language. 
  • makes learning a third and fourth language easier. 
  • can provide opportunities for future employment or career advancement. 

What about the students’ academic achievements? 

• Research shows there is absolutely no detrimental effect on academic performance in any subject area despite learning in a new language. 
• Students gain larger English vocabulary as French words are often similar to English words. 
• LFI students follow the same curriculum as they would in the English-track program; students are introduced to the same concepts/curriculum for Math, Science, Social Studies, etc. with supports and simplified vocabulary as appropriate. 
• Since LFI is an intensive language acquisition program, there is a strong emphasis on literacy development. Students can expect to spend a lot of time speaking, listening, reading, and writing in their new language. 

What will happen to my child’s first language? 

• Because LFI is an intensive program that focuses on developing French language acquisition in French Language Arts, formal English Language Arts is on hold for the two years of the LFI program. Students will have both English Language Arts and French Language Arts in Grade 8. During their time in the LFI program, we encourage students to continue reading in English at home. 

How does Late Immersion compare with Early French Immersion? 

• LFI is not a continuation of Early French Immersion. It is a separate program, offered in addition to Early Immersion, which provides an alternative final entry point for English students who want to become bilingual. 
• In Grade 8, the Early and Late Immersion students join together into one program. The two groups become academically cohesive during the secondary years.