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There are three different French as a Second Language(FSL) programs or streams taught in the Ontario school system: Core, Extended, and Immersion.

Core French
Core French is mandatory from Grades 4 to 8 for all students in English-language elementary schools. From Grade 4 to Grade 8, students receive French instruction every year and must have accumulated a minimum of 600 hours of French instruction by the end of Grade 8. At the secondary level, students study French at the academic, applied, and open levels that are offered in Grades 9 and 10, while university preparation and open levels are offered in Grades 11 and 12.

The aim of the Core French program is to provide students with fundamental communication skills in French and an understanding of the nature of the language and its culture. Core French offers students the chance to develop a usable command of the French language that can be expanded through further study or through contact with French-speaking people.

Extended French
In the Extended French program, French must be the language of instruction for a minimum of 25 per cent of the total instructional time at every grade level of the program. A minimum of 1260 hours of instruction in French must be accumulated by the end of Grade 8. The program includes the study of French and at least one other subject taught in French. That subject taught in French must be selected from the arts, social studies, history, geography, mathematics, science and technology, or health and physical education.

At the secondary level, students are taught French as a subject, and it is used as the language of instruction in at least one other subject. In Grades 9 and 10, Extended French is offered at the academic level, and at the university preparation level for Grades 11 and 12. Students accumulate seven credits in French, where four are for FSL courses and three are for other subjects taught in the French language.

The aim of the Extended French program is to develop students’ French language knowledge and skills and to provide them with an understanding and appreciation of francophone culture in Canada and around the world.

French Immersion
In French Immersion, French must be the language of instruction for a minimum of 50 per cent of the time at every grade level of the program. A minimum of 3800 hours of instruction in French by the end of Grade 8 must be accumulated. The program must include the study of French as a second language and at least two other subjects taught in French. The two subjects are selected from the arts, social studies, history, geography, mathematics, science and technology, and health and physical education. Many immersion programs starting in Grade 1 provide instruction in French in all subjects until Grade 3 or 4, when students begin to study English. By the end of Grade 8, students may receive up to 50 per cent of their instruction in English.

At the secondary level, students are taught French as a subject, and instruction in two or more other subjects in the French language. In Grades 9 and 10, students can study at the academic and applied levels, while university preparation and open levels are offered in Grades 11 and 12. Students accumulate ten credits in French, where four are for FSL courses and six are for other subjects taught in the French language.

The aim of the French Immersion program is to develop and refine students’ ability to communicate in French as well as to expand their knowledge of the language through the study of francophone literature.

Controversial Issues
After the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism in 1969, French Immersion programs became a popular option all over Canada. A Statistics Canada report, French immersion 30 years later, highlighted a controversial fact that “French immersion students tend to have higher socio-economic status backgrounds”. The Vancouver Sun published an article stating that the three-tiered approach to FSL resulted in French Immersion being the elitist option. The article argued that French Immersion classrooms do not properly reflect the diversity found in most Canadian schools, most of the students come from higher socio-economic background, there were less special education services available, and high-performing students were being removed from the community and concentrated into separate schools and classrooms.