Inclusionary Practices in French Immersion: A Need to Link Research to Practice

Authors

  • Renée Christine Bourgoin Second Language Research Institute of Canada Faculty of Education University of New Brunswick

Keywords:

French immersion, inclusion, at-risk students, learning difficulties

Abstract

French immersion programs were introduced in Canada over forty years ago. Since then, questions have been raised regarding the suitability of French immersion for students with academic and learning difficulties. Research examining the suitability of French immersion for a wide range of learners is highlighted in this article, in order to make links between research and the inclusionary practices that are currently being promoted in French immersion programs. An analysis of the extent to which different Canadian jurisdictions address key concepts related to inclusion in French immersion, including accessibility and retention, is then presented. Current gaps in the ways in which inclusionary practices in French immersion are supported are described in the final sections of this article, with the hope of advancing the promotion of early French immersion as a fully inclusionary program option.

Author Biography

Renée Christine Bourgoin, Second Language Research Institute of Canada Faculty of Education University of New Brunswick

Doctoral candidate (3rd year) Faculty of Education

Downloads

Published

2014-03-27

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2014)

Section

Literature Review/Revue de la documentation

License

  • Manuscripts submitted to CJNSE/RCJCÉ must be original work that has not been published elsewhere, nor is currently being considered for publication elsewhere. The author should confirm this in the cover letter sent with the manuscript.
  • Articles that are published within the CJNSE/RCJCÉ must not be published elsewhere, in whole or part, for one year after publication.
  • Copyright for articles published in this journal is retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal. By virtue of their appearance in this open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings. Granting the CJNSE/RCJCÉ first publication rights must be in the cover letter sent with the manuscript.
  • If the manuscript contains copyrighted materials, the author should note this in the cover letter sent with the manuscript, and indicate when letters of permission will be forwarded to the Editor.
  • If the manuscript reports on research with “human subjects,” the author should include a statement in the cover letter that ethics approval has been received for the research, indicating the granting body and protocol number if applicable.
  • Authors are encouraged to use language that is inclusive and culturally sensitive.