Based on what research?

Wow. Canada's only officially bilingual province has decided to scrap early French as a Second Language (FSL) programs, including Early French Immersion. While parents are screaming they would like to have a choice in the matter, New Brunswick Education Minister Lamrock's new action plan, called When kids come first, follows close on the heals of a report representing a "comprehensive review" on FSL programs and services in the province, initiated by the Department of Education last year. Citing problems long acknowledged by researchers and practitioners of FSL across the country, (such as too few resources and qualified teachers as well as a lack of support for French Core programs by administrators, parents, and students) the province's response is an "interesting" one.

The authors of the report appear to base their eighteen recommendations primarily on andecdotal evidence rather than on a truly comprehensive review of the research literature. The fear that Early French Immersion is leaving students behind in reading and math is mentioned alongside the Financial Evaluation of FSL programs. Hmm, makes you wonder.

Given the fact that learning two languages does take time, it is only logical to expect proficiency levels in reading somewhat later than for monolingual children. A good chunk of the Canadian population currently raising bilingual or trilingual children can attest to this without the wringing of hands. The increasingly common misconceptions that our children need to be literate before they even enter kindergarten seems to be at odds with bilingualism. And given the fact that French is hardly valued at the post-secondary level at Canadian universities it is no wonder that high school are opting out of official bilingualism programs.

A more appropriate recommendation might have been to bring in Intensive French in earlier grades to replace some of the ailing Core French programs perhaps, while leaving motivated parents to decide if they want to take on the challenge of a bilingual education for their children by continuing Early French Immersion. It seems money is doing the talking here, more than anything else. Let's hope it doesn't set a precedent.

meike at uni.ca