French is one of the official languages in Canada, so learning to speak French is an inherent part of Canadian culture. Today there are more than 150,000 students who attend French-ﬁrst-language schools outside of Quebec. Of these, 320,000 are French immersion programs and more than 2 million Canadian students are enrolled in core French! Clearly, more people know the value of learning French. These students are from all social and economic backgrounds, and are beneﬁting from French language education.

A Flexible Choice

Thanks to a high demand in learning fluent French, parents can choose from a wide variety of French language education opportunities, with each program having its own learning objectives and methods to fulfill individual student needs. Core French, also known as basic French, is taught as one subject within a school’s curriculum. Today’s core French programs encourage students to use their linguistic and cultural knowledge to communicate in real-life situations.

English school boards offer a variety of entry points to French Immersion programs, where most subjects are taught in French. French Immersion programs are designed to teach non-francophone children a high degree of French proficiency.

Children with one francophone parent have the right to receive French elementary and secondary education in order to explore and develop their heritage in francophone schools all over Canada.

Correcting Misconceptions

The parents of children enrolled in French core and immersion programs are not expected or required to understand or speak French. Also, children with one francophone parent do not need advanced French language skills to be admitted to a French language based school.

Proven Benefits

Many parents wonder how their children learning French might be impacted in other school subjects. Numerous reports have shown that French second-language education, whether core or immersion, does not diminish any math or English language skills.

Learning a second language has actually been shown to have a positive impact on intellectual growth to enhance cognitive and intellectual abilities.

Make an Informed Decision

More than 8 million Canadians speak French. Across the globe, 160 million people live and work by communicating in French. English and French are the only languages widely spoken on all 5 continents. So by learning French, your child can connect to the greater part of the world! He or she will experience unique opportunities and adventures, meet new friends and appreciate new cultures. They can also discover and enjoy the books, music and ﬁlms produced in this popular world language.

Life-long Opportunities

Parents want the best for their children. In learning French, your child with have unique, life-long opportunities where the sky is the true limit.

Businesses, governments, not-for-proﬁt organizations, academia and much more, all highly value French fluency. There’s a high demand for bilingual staff in every sector of the economy, from retail, technology, public service, tourism, teaching and research. Whether your child’s career path leads to science, the arts, business or education, learning French will open more doors to a very
secured future.

Source: http://cpf.ca/en/files/Learning_French_Pamphlet.pdf