French Immersion is a highly successful made-in-Canada educational program that allows non-Francophones the opportunity to learn and study in French. The program began over 30 years ago at the demand of parents and has continued to garner support since. The 2011-2012 school year marked French Immersion’s thirteenth consecutive year of enrollment growth in BC. Currently, over 275,000 students are enrolled in French second language programs; with over 44,800 students, French Immersion accounts for 7.7% of the total student population in BC.

French Immersion is designed to produce functionally bilingual students. To achieve the goals of this program, students should continue in French Immersion through Grade 12. Upon graduation, students will have acquired sufficient language skills to be able to pursue post-secondary studies or work in either official language. The skills students learn in the elementary years are the building blocks for the development of more sophisticated thinking and communicative skills in French.

Learning a second language is an intellectual exercise and a challenge which further develops an individual’s cognitive abilities. Learning French is a discipline, requiring a comprehension of culture and expression as well as the many intricacies of a language. In learning French, students develop a lifelong ability to communicate with a broader scope of people as well as gain a more global view of Canada and the world. Learning both official languages allows for not only communication, but understanding in an ever-shrinking world community. Knowledge of a second language also provides a competitive advantage in the workforce by opening up a larger pool of information, additional job opportunities and a wider networking potential.

According to a 2007 CROP poll prepared for CBC Radio-Canada, 88 per cent of Canadians believe that people who speak more than one language are better equipped to succeed in today’s global economy, and two thirds of the participants surveyed indicate that knowing Canada’s two official languages is a key factor in defining what it is to be a Canadian.

A 2003 Environics poll confirmed that Canadians consider learning both our official languages to be important and valuable. For example, 87% of English speaking Canadians surveyed believe that the ability to speak more than one language is very important in this period of growing international trade. Among young Canadians (aged 12-30), 66% believe that all high-school graduates should have a working knowledge of both English and French.

No matter what students might do in their lives, the modern economy forces virtually everyone to become involved in networks. By learning French, young people are tapping into a worldwide network of immense proportions. They are multiplying their chances to succeed in ways we cannot even imagine today.

• La Francophonie is the French equivalent of the British Commonwealth of nations.  It is a network of 56 states and governments, of which 25 countries have French as an official language, and over 300 million French-speaking people worldwide. It is the only language other than English spoken on five continents. French is the second language most frequently known by Europeans in additional to their mother tongue. Nearly one-fifth of non-Francophone Europeans say they know French.
• French and English are the languages of world diplomacy. French is an official working language of the United Nations, the International Red Cross, the International Olympic Committee, the European Economic Community, NATO, and many other organizations.
• French is the language of commerce in many places. It gives students a competitive edge in the job market anywhere in Canada and in many other countries. According to Statistics Canada, Canadians who speak both official languages earn more, on average, than those who speak only English or only French.
• French is the fourth most prevalent language on the Internet.
• Work experience opportunities include Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages, Katimavik, the Official Language Monitor Program, the House of Commons Page Program, and much more.

By secondary school graduation, immersion students should be able to function well in a French-speaking community, accept a job where French is the working language, or pursue university or college education in French.

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