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Definition French-Language Education can be described as engaging, learning, and practicing the French language. For this article, more specifically the benefits of enrolling children in French immersion to learn a second language.

History French immersion began in St. Lambert, an English-speaking town close to Montreal, it started because parents were worried their children could not compete with a Francophone dominant workforce (Lambert & Tucker, 1972 as cited in Davis, Ballinger & Sarkar, 2019). Currently, French education programs exist all over the country, offering plenty of benefits for students.

Background Information In Canada, French education encourages bilingualism as there are two official languages, French and English (Davis et al., 2019). French Second Language (FSL) education is taught through a variety of courses including “core French (CF), French immersion (FI), extended French (EF), and intensive French (IF)” (Lazaruk, 2007, p. 606). Students who have been in FI since kindergarten (early FI) are the most proficient in French. It is difficult to obtain a French accent, however early FI is the best chance to acquire a French accent.

Benefits If a student wishes to pursue French education, it is most beneficial to complete a French immersion program. Students who enroll in immersion continually outshine “learners in core language programs in terms of reading, writing, listening, and speaking” (Genesee & Lindholm-Leary, 2013 as cited in Davis et al., 2019, p. 29). French immersion education provides students with “significant linguistic, academic, and cognitive benefits” (Lazaruk, 2007, p. 605). In Lazaruk’s (2007) review of French immersion education, students have a high proficiency in both the French and English language with no impact to their academic success. Immersion students consistently outperform learners in core language programs in terms of reading, writing, listening, and speaking (Genesee & Lindholm-Leary, 2013).

Students engaging in bilingual education obtain substantial cognitive benefits (Lazaruk, 2007). Some of these advantages include “mental flexibility and creative thinking skills, enhanced metalinguistic awareness, and greater communicative sensitivity” (Lazaruk, 2007, p. 605).

For political purpose, it is important students in Canada are fluent in both national languages. Concerning provincial and federal governments, French immersion is a way to unify Anglophone and Francophone speakers (Davis et al., 2019). In a political context, being fluent in both Canada’s official languages is advantageous when searching for employment. The benefits of French education go beyond just pedagogical advantages.

Speaking Canada’s two official languages is a huge asset for employability. A study conducted by Canada Parents for French revealed that 81 percent of administrators believe bilingual employees add value to their companies (Givergis, 2019).

A study published in 2014 by Canadian Parents for French showed that 81 percent of supervisors considered bilingual employees an asset to the organization.

References Davis, S., Ballinger, S., & Sarkar, M. (2019). The suitability of French immersion for allophone students in Saskatchewan: Exploring diverse perspectives on language learning and inclusion. Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 22(2), 27–63. https://doi.org/10.7202/1063773ar

Givergis, K. (2019). The benefits of learning French in Canada. World Education Services. Retrieved from https://www.wes.org/advisor-blog/benefits-learning-french-canada/

Lazaruk, W. A. (2007). Linguistic, academic, and cognitive benefits of French immersion. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 63(5), 605–627. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.63.5.605