It’s a big debate that many Canadians have: will enrolling your child in French immersion affect their grades? The reality is that choosing French immersion will not negatively affect the average student’s academic trajectory, but it may even help sharpen language and math skills.

Research shows that children who learn a second language have a variety of cognitive benefits, such as mental flexibility, nonverbal problem-solving abilities, and enhanced critical thinking skills.

Did you know that French is spoken by more than 300 million people worldwide? It’s also the second most widely learned language after English, with over 7.9 million Canadians (around 20%) speaking French. 

With that many people speaking French, and Canada being a bilingual country, it’s an enormous asset to enrol your child in a French immersion program.

A French Immersion Program’s Value

Children who do not speak French can enrol in a Canadian-made educational program called French immersion. Most subjects are taught and learned to children in French, such as:

• Math 
• Science
• Art
• History
• Music
• Geography
• Physical education

The immersion program in Canada has drawn praise and spread quickly throughout the world. Many parents have enrolled their children in schools that provide these programs, even though it is optional.

The purpose of the French immersion program is to:

• Take use of children’s innate capacity to study and learn French with ease
• Make use of their social skills, and expose children to a new language and culture.
• Give kids opportunities to participate in native language development, academic success, and overall cognitive development

How French Immersion Programs Benefit Your Child

1. French Immersion Improved Cognitive Skills

According to studies, learning a new language at a young age—particularly between the ages of 5 and 7—helps your child develop cognitive abilities like reading comprehension and problem-solving. 

Being bilingual or multilingual helps people and students to increase their analytical and creative thinking abilities. Don’t worry if your child needs help learning two languages at once. People’s cognitive flexibility will increase as they age. 

Being bilingual or multilingual improves a person’s capacity to adapt to and manage unexpected situations as they grow.

2. French Leads to Better Educational and Career Opportunities

Better educational possibilities are available to your child if they are fluent in English and French. 

Being bilingual means your child can enroll in both English and French post-secondary schools or universities. Also, when applying to post-secondary education, showing that your child was in an immersion program can be more appealing to admission advisors. 

Plus, it opens the door for better employment rates and career advancement. In Canada alone, there are many multilingual jobs available. On top of that, bilingual employees make about 10% more money than their anglophone or monolingual counterparts.

3. A Second Language Leads to Excellent Communication Skills

Enrolling your child in French immersion will help them to express themselves and communicate their ideas more effectively than individuals who speak one language. 

Additionally, teaching your child a second language helps them become sensitive communicators. They can comprehend and react clearly, which helps them recognize cultural differences and effectively interact with people from other backgrounds.

Check out these articles if you’re still unsure about French immersion: 

• Is French Immersion Right For My Child?
• French Immersion In Canada
• Surprising Benefits Of Learning A Second Language

Need Help with French?  

Whether your child’s French academic goals are to get a great mark this year or study at the Université de Montréal one day, we are here to help.

Contact a location near you to get started today!

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In Canada, all English language public school students take French as a Second Language. As one of two official languages in Canada, having French language skills can help students secure future employment.

However, there are many more benefits to learning a second language! Other second language benefits include improved problem-solving, reasoning, and creative thinking skills.

First Language Bonus!

Spanish, English, French, German—or any other second language—as students learn a second language, they also improve their first-language skills and overall literacy skills! While students learn their native language intuitively, learning a second language improves their understanding of grammar, syntax and other language structures of their first language.

3 Surprising Benefits of Learning a Second Language:

Better Test Scores

Studies show that students who learn a second language perform better on tests than their monolingual peers. In the US, students who learn a second language got better test scores on the ACT in English and math and better verbal scores on the SAT. In Canada, French immersion students outperform non-immersion students in the PISA reading assessment.

Boosted Multitasking Skills

Research shows that students who learn a second language have better functioning in the executive function part of the brain. This is the part of the brain that can ignore distractions to stay focused on one thing while ignoring another. It also allows us to switch between tasks. Because bilingual students mentally switch between languages, the brain becomes adept at switching between tasks and filtering out information.

Improved Brain Power

Learning a new language is a complex task, no matter what age the student is. Second language acquisition involves an intricate system that requires plenty of practice. As students’ brains work on figuring out the rules, the brain develops stronger problem-solving and recall skills, among others. The brainpower boost can have positive effects for years and is especially helpful for seniors. Therefore, taking clases de inglés will be helpful in the long run.

Build Second Language Skills With Oxford Learning!

French Language Programs

In Canada, French is the second language most students learn. Broaden opportunities for your child/children with our Destination Français French program. Oxford Learning’s French tutoring program ranges from grades 1 to 12 and is customized to focus on French grammar, reading comprehension, writing, and vocabulary to help students achieve higher grades. Get started by finding an Oxford Learning location near you.

English as a Second Language

Strengthen English Language skills with Oxford Learning. Developed to help students of all ages become proficient in the English Language. Our ESL program uses the phonetic method to teach English to individuals of all ages and fluency. With our specialized program students increase their reading and writing skills by learning English strategies and gaining self-confidence.

The post Surprising Benefits of Learning a Second Language appeared first on Oxford Learning.

Let us know about your child/children’s experience learning French by answering the questionnaire below.

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Broaden opportunities for your child/children with our En français French program. Oxford Learning’s French tutoring program ranges from grades 1 to 12 and is customized to focus on French grammar, reading comprehension, writing, and vocabulary to help students achieve higher grades. Get started by finding an Oxford Learning location near you.

The post Is French Immersion Right For My Child? appeared first on Oxford Learning.

Watch our short video on learning French for tips on boosting French skills at home this summer–and year round!

Like our video? Please share!

The post Facts and Tips about Learning French appeared first on Oxford Learning.

Since the debut of the first French Immersion School in 1965, French Immersion education has been steadily growing across Canada.

French immersion programs offer a variety of options to help your child succeed without the need for a French-speaking parent, and can ultimately guide your child to an accelerated and successful career.

Are you interested in a French Immersion education for your child? We’ve put together an overview of facts and history to help you learn more about French Immersion in Canada.

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The truth in most cases is, children can succeed in learning a second (or third, etc.) language, even if their parents are not able to help with homework. Research has shown that parents role in homework support, French or otherwise, is less about providing answers, and more about providing the skills that children need to discover the solutions themselves.

Becoming an expert in homework and helping your child effectively doesn’t mean having to know French. It means implementing routines and habits that will help your child tackle homework, study effectively, and succeed academically, whether in immersion school or taking introductory French classes. And the best news is, following some simple guidelines won’t just help your child in French class, but in every class.

Here are some homework guidelines:

1. Provide a regular study time away from television and other electronic distractions.
2. Give guidance, but not answers. For example, asking if a child understood the question or has worked through the math example several times in order to really grasp the concepts.
3. Celebrate success by pointing out that it came from hard work (anyone can work hard), not from intelligence (reserved for the fortunate few, right?).
4. Work along with your child, whether it is by reading something for work, or by catching up on your emails—having a parent close by makes homework feel less like punishment and more like a team effort.
5. Have them teach you something. Ask them to translate instructions or directions for you. What does this question mean? Being able to have a skill that their parent doesn’t is a major boost for students, helping them tap into their motivation.

Read more

Don’t forget we have amazing French programs at Oxford Learning! Learn more here.

The post How Do I Help My Child in French When I Don’t Speak It? appeared first on Oxford Learning.

These fun and helpful tips help French language learners of all ages and grades turn “je ne sais pas” into O-la-la!”

1. Watch your favourite shows and movies—in French! Listening to French will helps students acquire better pronunciation and improves the ability to distinguish words, sentences, etc. Add on French subtitles if you would like to see what the actors are saying.

2. Listen to French music. Whether it’s pop, jazz, rock, or hip-hop, there’s French music for you! Listening to French music allows you to hear the natural intonation of the language, which you’ll subsequently start to use when speaking in French.

3. Word-A-Day. Grab the French dictionary and pick one word a day to focus on. Learn how to spell it, say it, and when and how to use it. Try writing some sentences that use the word, and make sure to show your French teacher so that you know you’re using it correctly!

4. Vocabulary Flash Cards. Choose 10 new French words per week. Write each word on a flash card, with the translation on the other side. Test yourself a couple of times each day—you’ll be surprised at how quickly you learn the words. Keep the flash cards and at the end of the month, review all of the words for the entire month—it’s a great challenge!

5. Stay connected–en français! Change the default language of your email account, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram profiles—even your computer—to French. You already know where the buttons are and what they do—now you’re staying connected and learning French!

6. Check out some French books! Your favourite books: Harry Potter, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Hunger Games, are all available in French! Try reading them—you’ll be amazed at how much you understand, especially if you’ve already read the English version! Your local library will have a non-English section: check it out! Pick a book that matches your language level—it’s okay if it seems a little simple: if the book is too challenging, you’ll simply end up frustrated and not understanding the story.

7. Pen (or email, or Skype) pals! Your teacher can probably connect you with someone who is a French first language speaker who you can practice your writing skills with. Don’t feel like writing on paper? Use email! Or, if you’re looking to improve your oral French, pick up the phone or use Skype to get some one-on-one practice with a native speaker!

8. Start a French club. Get together with your friends, with a French-only rule. Have dictionaries on hand to make it easier to express yourself. To make it more interesting: the first person to speak English has to buy/make the others a treat!

9. Keep a French journal or diary.  It doesn’t have to be long, or complex. Just write down a few short sentences every day, and you’ll see your skills improving as you go! After a couple of months, you’ll be able to look back and see how far your writing skills have come!

10. Flash Cards Two. Use the vocabulary flash cards from #4, try to give a rhyming or opposite word for each card.

Boost French Confidence

Get even more tips on how to help your child boost his or her French confidence (and performance) in our video below.

The En Francais French Progam

Broaden opportunities for your child with our En français French program.

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