By Kathy Gallant

Local teacher advocates benefits of French immersion

May 22, 2018 | 5:00 PM

A local French immersion kindergarten teacher hopes more students and families will see the benefits of learning to speak a second language.

During this school year, Teri Brake had 20 students enrolled in her kindergarten class at Lakeview Elementary School. So far five have signed up for the 2018-19 school year and she said there is still lots of time for that number to grow.

“I think a lot parents’ biggest fear is ‘We don’t speak French at home, how am I going to help my child?’” Brake said. “But the French immersion program is designed for non-Francophone families, and it teaches them to be critical thinkers, problem solvers, and better communicators. It really enhances cognitive development as well.”

Brake said every year, she is fascinated with how quickly the young students in her classes pick up the language basics and start a solid foundation for learning. The school year starts with setting routines and rules to make sure students understand their responsibilities as a student. Soon after, the language learning starts with play, pictures and visual associations, singing, poems, as well as a great deal of repetition and reinforcement of words, numbers, and colours. She said it’s hands-on and interactive learning.

“It’s almost like after Christmas something clicks for them,” Brake said. “There’s no better feeling than when a little five-year-old picks up a book in French and reads it to me. For the first part of the year, it’s led by me, and then we get to the point where they start taking the lead where they’re the ones doing calendar, choosing the songs.

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She said thinks those in Meadow Lake and the Northwest School Division are lucky to have this opportunity. She and fellow teachers in her own school as well as Gateway Elementary and Jonas Samson Junior High also plan cultural events and share resources. She added she is happy the program expanded to high school this year as well.

“If any [parent] considering it wants to have an idea what the program is like, I would me more than happy to speak with them,” Brake said. “Especially now at the end of the year where things are winding down, even to come to spend 20 minutes in our classroom.”

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca

On Twitter @ReporterKath