Quick facts
French Immersion:
Alberta:
almost 35,500 students (2010/11 school year) in 47 communities from Fort McMurray to Pincher Creek
5.8% of all students were enrolled in French immersion 2010/11
more students than ever before are graduating from French immersion
Canada:
328,000+ students (2008/09 school year) from Port Alberni BC to Inuvik NT to St.John's NL
Core French: (also called "FSL" in Alberta)
Alberta:
almost 155,000 students were studying French as a subject during the 2010/11 school year
25% of all students were studying French as a subject in 2010/11
enrolments have been increasing since 2002/03, when 19% of Alberta students were in core French
Canada:
1,493,000+ students were studying French as a subject during the 2008/09 school year
French-second-language programs:
French immersion - A program in which French is the language of instruction for a significant part of the school day; this is, several or all subjects are taught in French. The objective is full mastery of the English language and functional fluency in French, as well as an understanding and appreciation of French culture. more information
Early immersion – a program beginning in Kindergarten or Grade 1 (offered in 48 communities throughout Alberta)
Late immersion – a program beginning in Grade 6 or 7 (offered in Calgary, Edmonton, Okotoks, Red Deer, and St. Albert)
Middle immersion - a program beginning in Grade 4 or 5
Dual track school - a school that houses both an immersion program and the regular English stream (or immersion and another alternative program)
Single track school or immersion center - a school which offers only French immersion
Core French - Commonly known in Alberta as “French as a second language” or “FSL,” this refers to French taught for one period each day or a few times a week. The objective is a basic knowledge of French (the depth of this knowledge will vary according to the length and intensity of the program) and in interest in and appreciation of French culture. more information
Intensive French - An enrichment of the core French program consisting of a five-month concentration on second-language development during Grade 5 or 6. During the remainder of the school year, the regular timetable is resumed.
French-first-language education - Designed for Francophone students (as defined in Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms), French is the language of instruction for all subjects except English language arts. The objective is full mastery of French as a mother tongue, full fluency in English, and a sense of identity with and belonging to the French community. more information
Visit our web pages Why learn French? and Why continue studying French?
The language
An estimated 75-80% of English words either come from French or share a Latin root with their French equivalents.
English and French use the same alphabet, are both read from left to right, and have very similar sentence structures.
French in Alberta
Some 67,000 Albertans list French as a mother tongue (2006 census).
Almost 223,000 Albertans can carry on a conversation in either French and English (2006 census).
French in Canada
6.97 million Canadians list French as a mother tongue (2006 census).
More than 5.4 million Canadians can carry on a conversation in either French or English (2006 census).
13% of Anglophones living outside Quebec aged 15 to 19 are bilingual in English and French (2006 census).
French around the world:
"In the category of megalanguages, with one hundred million or more (100,000,000) speakers each ... French is notable for several reasons. It is the only language apart from English with important representation in all the continents of the world. It is the official language of more nation-states than any other language, apart from English, and has unique prestige as the world's second 'global' language, in spite of its relatively modest number of primary or 'native' speakers (around 60,000,000, concentrated largely in western Europe and Quebec)." - Linguasphere
French and English are the main 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, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the International Labour Bureau, and others.
French is the second most frequently taught language in the world.
French is the second most abundant language on the internet.
Canada is considered a world leader in second-language education. There are Canadian-style immersion programs in several other countries, including Australia, Finland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Spain, and the United States.