French Immersion

French Immersion is an immersion program for learners whose first language is not French. In Alberta, student's first language, their native language, is typically English. The program offers 80% French instruction for core subjects in elementary to a minimum of 50% French instruction in junior and senior high school. Correspondence to the parent/guardian is in English as it is understood that the language of the home is not French. 

Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees French language instruction to francophone students whose first language is French. The native language of the learner is French. In a Francophone program, all courses, cores and electives, are taught in the French language and correspondence to the parent/guardian is in French.

Alberta does not currently offer a bilingual diploma, however, courses taken in the French language are identified on a student’s transcript. Should a student complete a course taken in French, that course will be indicated on the student’s official transcript.

FLA is French Language Arts for non-native French speakers. This course is completed while being a French Immersion learner.

FSL is French as a Second language, a Language Arts course for non-native French speakers taking French as an elective in a regular stream.

Français is the Language Arts course that a student completes in a Francophone school for native French speakers.

Classroom assignments must comply with the curriculum outlined by Alberta Education.The qualified language teacher will progressively increase the learning tasks based on the student’s abilities. Should a student require additional support, the classroom teacher and the parent/guardian will work as a team to address the needs of the learner. Parents/guardians are always welcome to speak with the teacher to collaborate on ways to assist their  child(ren) throughout their years of learning.

A French Immersion student can write a provincial exam in either English or French despite the language of instruction being in French, with the exception of the Language Arts exams. The transcripts of the course mark will be posted in the language of instruction. The exam will be identified in the language in which it was completed. 

For example, a French Immersion student taking Social 30 will have Études Sociales 30 as the course name on the transcript but could have Social 30 as the exam on the transcript if the student writes the exam in English.

A French Immersion student is able to challenge an FSL exam and receive extra credit in Language Arts. During each year of high school, the teacher can administer that respective year’s FSL challenge exam. For instance, a grade 10 French Immersion student will be taking FLA 10 but can write the FSL 10 challenge exam during the year at a time chosen by the teacher. Either mark, FLA or FSL, can be used toward the Rutherford Scholarship and toward the student’s grade point average (GPA). A challenge exam can be written in all 3 years of High School. However, writing the exam only in the last year, Grade 12, does not give a retroactive mark for grades 10 and 11.

The Diplôme d’études de Langue Française is a series of exams administered to non-native French speakers as a method to measure a standard of comprehension based on the CERF. The exams can be taken as early as elementary level. The exam comprises 4 components of communication: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. A passing grade of 50% on each skill is required to be awarded the diploma. At Sturgeon Public Schools, students in grade 9 are eligible for the B1 diploma and students in grade 12 typically complete the B2 level. A student at the B1 level can converse independently and can maintain a conversation. A student at the B2 level gives evidence of fluency, independence, and spontaneity in regular interactions.

A teacher applying for an available position in French Immersion at Sturgeon Public Schools must meet the minimum requirement of a B2 level competency. In addition, the shortlisted candidate completes an oral and a written component during the interview process.