Edmonton Public Schools: Making an Impact with Second Language Education
In April 2002, Edmonton Public Schools initiated a three-year French-Language Renewal Project to implement the recommendations of the review of French Immersion (FIM) and French as a Second Language (FSL) programs. The results were:
- increased enrolment (which doubled in FSL and FIM);
- enhanced student achievement (which met national and international standards);
- increased student contact with Francophone communities; and
- partnerships with agencies interested in the learning of French.
A broad-based partnership has been created to guide the renewal project. The partnership includes representation from Edmonton Public Schools Central Services and district schools, Alberta Learning, Canadian Parents for French, the Department of Canadian Heritage, l'Association canadienne-française de l'Alberta, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Alliance française, Faculté Saint-Jean of the University of Alberta, Grant MacEwan College and La Chambre économique de l'Alberta.
Year One Results:
- Broad-based partnership to support French-language education
- Policy development to guide implementation
- Learner Assessment Project:
- Establishment of standardized French reading and writing tests for immersion students
- Pilot project and analysis of the administration of the Public Service of Canada (PSC) exam to 95 FIM and FSL students with positive results
- Students received a recognition certificate from the Commissioner of Official Languages for taking part in PSC exam
- Establishment of a late French immersion program at two sites
- Established grade-level outcomes for FSL
- Established contact between students of French and activities within the Francophone community
- Enhanced classroom support for teachers and professional development through French-language courses at Faculté Saint-Jean of the University of Alberta
- French immersion courses in Quebec funded for several French immersion principals
- Learning resources were identified by committees of teachers and provided to classrooms
- Design and implementation of a comprehensive marketing strategy to promote French-language education
Impact of first year of the three-year program:
- After 12 years of steady decline in enrolment in FSL and FIM, these increases were experienced in September 2003:
- Immersion kindergarten +41 %
- Immersion grade 7 +28 %
- Immersion grade 10 +28 %
- FLS grades 1 through 12 + 4 %
- Achievement results of immersion students on provincial standardized tests in French and core subjects were up substantially.
- Teacher morale has improved and there is a growing community interest in French-language education.
Impact of Second Language Education:
When young people increase their capacity for learning second language skills, considerable economic potential accrues, both to the individual and to the business, industrial and academic sectors of the country. Students who receive quality second language instruction show:
- increased levels of verbal and non-verbal intelligence;
- greater flexibility in thought and divergent thinking skills;
- enhanced memory capacity;
- increased verbal fluency and originality;
- enhanced development of learning strategies;
- improved listening skills; and
- superior problem solving skills.
The district is currently in the second year of the renewal program and is confident that the targets of doubling enrolment, and of meeting the other targets set by the district, will be met and exceeded ahead of schedule.
Edmonton Public Schools have an extensive history in delivering second language instruction through French immersion, seven bilingual programs, the French Second Language program and ten other international languages.
To learn more about French-language programming and the French Language Renewal Project at Edmonton Public Schools go to www.french.epsb.ca/
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For more information contact:
Stuart Wachowicz
Director, Curriculum
Edmonton Public Schools
(780) 429-8186
