A French program with a first language approach – Preschool to Grade 8

It is one thing to understand the structure of a language, it’s quite another to speak a second language with confidence. Our experienced bilingual French teachers know this and have designed our program to teach vocabulary and its relevance through singing, dancing, acting, writing, reading, drawing, and even telling jokes, as we do in English-speaking classes.

Creating an interesting and interactive environment is part of an approach that inspires our students to speak French confidently beyond the classroom. In fact, their success is demonstrated each Wednesday when Morning Assembly is conducted in French. On these mornings, students, staff, and parents are challenged to use their French together.

Our youngest students enjoy their daily language classes as they are at a point when foreign-language acquisition mirrors their native language development. These early skills are honed throughout a student’s time at Fern Hill. Students who show an affinity for the language can work ahead and by Grade 8, they are ready to take an accredited Grade 9 French (FSF1D – Academic Core French) course. This is one of 18 compulsory credits needed to graduate from Ontario high schools.

The benefits of second-language learning are significant

The Ontario Ministry of Education’s A Framework for French as a Second Language in Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12, revealed the significant cognitive and academic benefits of learning a second language. Among them:

  • greater academic proficiency
  • improved memory
  • greater abstract thinking
  • a heightened respect for culture and diversity

Read more here: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/amenagement/frameworkFLS.pdf

With rapid globalization, multilingualism is more important than ever

In an era of rapid globalization, multilingualism is an economic, cultural, and personal asset inside and outside Canada. As businesses grow their markets internationally, it is increasingly important for this generation of students to have skills in more than one language