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Last week's elimination of early French immersion in anglophone schools is already creating a ripple effect in at least one local French elementary school.

James Mallory/Northern Light Photo

Cité de l'Amitié Francisation teacher Celine Pilote laughs as her students show what they've learned at school. Shown from left are Kindergarten students: Kathryn Adam, Phillip Ellis and Alexandre Comeau.

Gerry Pelletier, principal of Cité de l'Amitié, said he's been getting calls from parents looking to get their children a head start on French language training.

"We already have had a few phone calls and parents who have registered their child to come to this school," said Mr. Pelletier. "They're asking questions."

On March 14, Education Minister Kelly Lamrock announced sweeping changes to French Second Language (FSL) programs including the elimination of early French immersion. There have been strong concerns expressed among parents who feel children have an easier time learning a second language at a younger age.

Kari Moore was able to get her daughter Kaleigh early French training when she entered her into Kindergarten at Cité de l'Amitié three years ago. A program called Francisation, for children who are not fluent in French, was offered to her daughter and it paid off.

"Being a French immersion student myself I was torn on what to do with my daughter," said Mrs. Moore, whose husband speaks French. "I am satisfied with this program, my daughter who could not speak much French is now bilingual. I have always been helped in any problem I have encountered, may it be homework or anything else...Cite de l'Amitié have an amazing support team, I highly recommend this program to anyone who is interested."

Mr. Pelletier said the Francisation program is celebrating 10 years at Cité de l'Amitié. He said children entering this program are included in regular French classrooms. An additional teacher is hired to work with the children in their classrooms several times a week to offer them special help.

This instructor's work supplements the teaching provided by the regular classroom teacher. A language monitor is also hired and his or her role is to use a variety of learning activities adapted to the child's grade level to develop and improve his or her French language skills.

"Children progress more rapidly because they receive all the support they need to improve their vocabulary, reading skills, comprehension, composition and other subjects where they require more help to master the language," said Mr. Pelletier.

Nathalie Theriault, a Francisation teacher at Cité de l'Amitié, said this program is offered for all grades but she noted that Kindergarten tends to be the best course of action.

"If they enter in Kindergarten, that's the best because we can work on their language skills, oral skills and vocabulary and then they're ready to get into Grade 1 and start reading and all those skills that they need to get into that higher level...Usually, after a year, they are functional in the language...I evaluate them three times a year and if I see they can do it on their own, then they graduate and I don't give them the service anymore."

Katie MacDermaid is a Grade 5 student at Cité de l'Amitié who started the Francisation program in Kindergarten. She said her mother Margaret speaks French but her father Ed does not, meaning much of the conversation at home is in English. Despite this, she said she felt comfortable speaking French within her first year at Cité de l'Amitié.

"I speak English but I try to speak French with my Dad. He's getting better at it," she laughed.

"I started learning French in Kindergarten and it was a bit hard but it got easier and at the end I could speak both."

Katie's mother agrees that the program has done wonders for her children.

"Of all the opportunities that our children were given, this program was by far the best," said Mrs. MacDermaid, who put her three children through the program. "It was extremely beneficial, it was well thought out, well executed and well received by parents and students alike. The program provided a great boost of confidence for an Anglophone entering a French school. The whole learning process for the children and the entire family was incredibly fun."

Mr. Pelletier noted that parents do not have to be fluent in French to enroll their children at a French school but there must be a family link to the language. Out of 425 students at Cité de l'Amitié, 36 are enrolled in the Francisation program.