Sudbury Catholic District School Board
 Academic Programs

French as a Second Language

Purpose and Goals 

Sudbury Catholic Schools values second language learning. We offer early French Immersion and Core French programs to all students. SCDSB French teachers are all fluent in French and trained in second language education. Online and in classroom materials have been acquired and are available to students. Support resources for parents and students are available on the Learn Support Hub for Families, under the French language folder.

The Goals for FSL in Ontario In all French as a Second Language programs, students realize the vision of the FSL curriculum as they strive to:

  • Use French to communicate and interact effectively in a variety of social settings
  • Learn about Canada, its two official language, and other cultures
  • Appreciate and acknowledge the interconnectedness and interdependence of the global community
  • Be responsible for their own learning as they work independently and in groups
  • Use effective language learning strategies 
  • Become lifelong language learners for personal growth and for active participation as World citizens

Program Description

Core French Content

Core French is taught as one subject within the Sudbury Catholic District School Board’s Regular Program curriculum. Beginning in Grade 4, students receive 40 minutes of French instruction each day. The Core French program continues to grade 8. In secondary school, students are required to accumulate one compulsory Core French credit in Grade 9.

French Language skills are taught through having a genuine purpose – a task to be accomplished, a problem to be resolved, an obligation to be fulfilled – or an objective to be achieved around listening, speaking, reading and writing; these tasks are designed to prepare your child to apply their linguistic and cultural knowledge in real-life situations.

French Immersion

SDCSB offers an early French Immersion program option which is available to all students. This is a highly successful approach to second language learning in which students receive instruction in French for a significant portion of the day (see chart below for % details). Students study the same curriculum content as their peers in the regular English program. It is designed to provide English-speaking children with the opportunity to become proficient in French as well as in English. There is no expectation that parents of students in the French Immersion program are able to understand or speak French.

An Immersion program means that French is not only the medium in which subjects are taught; it is also the means of communication between pupils and teacher in the classroom and beyond the classroom.

By the end of the four-year French immersion program in secondary school, students aim for B2 level (upper intermediate) proficiency. The student can:

  • Understand the fundamental idea of a complex text, or technical piece related to his field.
  • communicate with a degree of fluency and spontaneity without too much strain for either the learner or the native speaker.
  • produce detailed text on a wide range of subjects with some ease
  • explain his point of view on a current issue by giving advantages and disadvantages
  • take courses at the college or university level in which French is the language of instruction
Grade% of Instruction Delivered in French LanguageSubjects Delivered in the English Language
Kindergarten90% all classroom instruction in FrenchReligion
Grades 1-274% French Language Arts, Mathematics, Arts, Science, Social Studies, Health and Physical EducationReligion
English Language Arts (60 minutes daily)
Grades 3-470% French Language Arts, Mathematics, Arts, Science, Social Studies, Health and Physical EducationReligion
English Language Arts (60 minutes daily)
Grades 5-850% French Language Arts, Arts, Science, Social Studies, Health and Physical EducationReligion
English Language Arts ( 60 minutes daily)
Mathematics (60 minutes daily)
Grades 9-12Minimum of 10 credits ( 4 French classes and 6 other subjects in French)

DELF

The DELF (Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française) is a diploma administered by the French Ministry for National Education to certify individuals who have taken French as a second language. These diplomas are valid for life. The DELF examination is recognized around the world and reflects the levels of proficiency from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). The DELF examination is offered to all Grade 12 French Immersion and Core French students. The DELF examination assesses students at four levels (A1, A2, B1 and B2) which corresponds to the levels of the CEFRL. French teachers will assist students with preparing for the exam and provide them with important details and information prior to the examination. With the help of their teacher and using self-assessment strategies in class, students individually decide which level of the examination they want to challenge (A1, A2, B1, B2). Students who have earned a DELF level B2 may be exempted from the language test requirements for registration in French universities.

Resources

Accessing Voila Learning

Association Canadienne des Professionnels de l’Immersion (ACPI)

Canadian Parents for French

FSL Elementary Curriculum

FSL Secondary Curriculum

French Street

Idéllo

Transforming FSL

TFO

Handbooks

French Immersion Handbook for Parents 

Core French Handbook for Parents

Supporting Students with Special Needs in French as a Second Language – A Family Guide

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