École Campbelltown School

École Campbelltown is proud to offer a single track French Immersion program for students from Kindergarten to Grade 6.  This means that our students are taught all of their core subjects in French, including fine arts, physical education, and health.  Our students also have some instruction in English throughout the school day during their English Language Arts periods.

Our school is unique in that it is entirely devoted to French Immersion.  This offers us the opportunity to immerse students in a French environment with announcements, assemblies, and instruction being delivered almost entirely in French.  Students are likely to hear staff and peers speaking in French in the hallways as well as throughout the playground. This constant exposure to French is crucial in helping the students to develop their French language skills.

We also offer a variety of French cultural activities throughout the year such as shucking corn during our "épluchette de blé d'Inde" in September.  During a week in February, our school celebrates the beauty of language during our French Gala event.  Throughout the week the students engage in activities that celebrate French such as French musicians, plays, and cultural performances.  Students spend the week reflecting on the joys of learning French.  Our Grade 6 students also attend a special French camp at the end of the year as part of our special cultural events.

At École Campbelltown, French is fun!

When children reach school age, parents make important choices on their behalf that will affect their children's lives for years to come. A critical decision revolves around choice of schools. You may be asking yourself, "Is French Immersion at École Campbelltown School" the right choice for my child?" Learning another language can help your child to:

• improve listening skills
• increase cognitive abilities, creating a more flexible thinker
• enhance communication skills in his or her first language
• develop a deeper understanding of his or her own culture
• improve overall school performance
• make learning a third or fourth language much easier.

We are now more closely connected to our global neighbours than ever before. Advances in technology are making it easier to travel and communicate with people all over the world. Increasing immigration is making our local communities more diverse and enriched. In addition, our economic well-being is linked to our ability to succeed in the international marketplace. Knowing another language can give your child:

• a lifelong ability to communicate with more people
• an increased understanding of and respect for people of other cultures
• broader educational and career opportunities
• a competitive edge in the job market
• more opportunities to enjoy literature, art, music, theatre, sports and travel.

Knowing another language can prepare your child to be a part of a more global community and be an enjoyable part of school. The Impact of Second Language Education by Alberta Education shows the benefits of learning a second language are much broader than simply the ability to speak in another language. It reports on research that affirms the importance of second language education on intellectual potential, scholastic achievement, first language skills, citizenship and the economy. The research conclusions in each area are as follows:

Intellectual Potential  

1. Students fluent in two language score higher in both verbal and non-verbal intelligence.
2. Students studying a second language are superior in divergent thinking tasks and in memory ability and attention span.

Scholastic Achievement

1. Second language students have higher test scores in reading, language and mathematics.
2. Each additional year of second language training created a greater positive differential compared to students not receiving a second language.  

Effect on First Language  

1. Second language education significantly strengthens first language skills in areas of reading, English vocabulary, grammar and communication skills.
2. The earlier the start, the greater the positive effect on the first language.

Citizenship

1. Students studying a second language have superior cross-cultural skills and adapt better to varying cultural contexts.
2. Students studying a second language display greater cultural sensitivity.

Economic Potential

1. There is an urgent requirement for qualified speakers of languages other than English in areas of science, technology, medicine and global commerce.

Many parents worry that their children's English language skills will be affected by learning another language. The truth is that a child's English will not be harmed by learning another language and may even be improved!

In studies that looked at the effect of learning another language on first language skills, the results have been positive. Students in second language programs readily transfer the skills they learn in one language to the other. They learn a lot about the English language by looking for similarities and differences between English and the language they are learning. Here are some interesting facts about immersion programs:

• All Alberta students take the same English language arts program and are expected to achieve the same standards.
• In early immersion programs, because of the initial focus on learning the second language, students do lag behind peers in the regular program in some English skills. However, they quickly catch up once they have had one or two years of English language arts.
• By Grade 5 or Grade 6, children in immersion programs do as well as or better than those in the English language program. Many studies have found that English skills are actually enhanced by learning another language.
• Immersion and bilingual program students often outperform students in the regular program in some English skill areas.

French Immersion may be the key to unlocking your child's language learning potential.  For more information about our French Immersion program or about our school in general, please feel free to contact us.