This study explores the policies and requirements governing French immersion teacher certification at the secondary level as prescribed by the Ministry of Education and the universities in each of Canada's ten provinces. Four components are examined: (1) certification procedures, (2) professional training, (3) course credit and competency requirements, and (4) provisions for certified teachers. An analysis of responses to a mailed questionnaire revealed that: (1) Quebec and Ontario are the only two provinces that have specific requirements for FSL certification, (2) there is little agreement among respondents regarding existing reciprocity agreements, (3) there is little consistency in the FSL components of teacher-training programs across Canada, (4) the approved program approach is the most common procedure used for certification, (5) all proposed changes address the need to separate French Immersion training programs from the generic FSL education, (6) none of the provinces currently offer a bonafide Bilingual Education training program, (7) no additional teacher-training is presently required to certify an Anglophone for FSL teaching, and (8) the responsibility of defining the criteria for the selection of FSL teachers is at times assumed by a school board, a denominational education committee, a university, a Ministry of Education, or by supply and demand. Three recommendations were made to the Council of Ministers of Canada: (1) that national assessment centers be established to determine competencies of FSL teacher candidates; (2) that three specific bases of information be established: (a) a national pool of competency-based and criterion referenced performance items, (b) a clearinghouse to assist in evaluating assessment procedures, (c) four regional information exchanges; (3) that research be conducted to determine the feasibility and effective methods of utilizing French native speakers in FSL teaching.

Children learn language in the family. They also learn about the ways in which language can be used to communicate needs, share ideas, express cultural identity and negotiate and reinforce group membership. In bilingual and minority language families children also learn about the existence of different languages, of different ways of talking about the same object and expressing the same ideas, and the appropriate time and place to use each language. The place of language in the development of cultural identity and group membership is particularly important for people who speak more than one language and feel attachments to more than one culture. This study explores what it is to be a bilingual parent of young children. Parents who were themselves bilingual were asked about their own experiences with language, and their experiences with raising their children. The dissertation is organized around the themes of language learning in the family, in the community, and within the context of school. This study has resulted in a broad range of findings, among which are: that raising children to be bilingual is a deliberate act requiring considerable, conscious effort on the part of parents, that parents who have a mentor, someone they know who has successfully raised bilingual children, are more likely to persist with their efforts despite difficulties, and that close religious, cultural or familial ties to other speakers of the minority language are positive influences on both parents and children. Another important finding is that parents are greatly encouraged by meeting health and/or educational professionals who are positive and informative about bilingualism in young children. Conversation is the methodology for this study because it allows the participants and the researcher to work together toward a greater understanding of the topic under study. Through conversations with other interested people I was able to invite them into my questions. Sharing stories of language, and reflecting on what these stories mean and how they have affected and continue to affect us, opens the possibilities for a much greater understanding of what it means to speak more than one language in this society, and how that will affect our children.

No description available.

Children learn language in the family. They also learn about the ways in which language can be used to communicate needs, share ideas, express cultural identity and negotiate and reinforce group membership. In bilingual and minority language families children also learn about the existence of different languages, of different ways of talking about the same object and expressing the same ideas, and the appropriate time and place to use each language. The place of language in the development of cultural identity and group membership is particularly important for people who speak more than one language and feel attachments to more than one culture. This study explores what it is to be a bilingual parent of young children. Parents who were themselves bilingual were asked about their own experiences with language, and their experiences with raising their children. The dissertation is organized around the themes of language learning in the family, in the community, and within the context of school. This study has resulted in a broad range of findings, among which are: that raising children to be bilingual is a deliberate act requiring considerable, conscious effort on the part of parents, that parents who have a mentor, someone they know who has successfully raised bilingual children, are more likely to persist with their efforts despite difficulties, and that close religious, cultural or familial ties to other speakers of the minority language are positive influences on both parents and children. Another important finding is that parents are greatly encouraged by meeting health and/or educational professionals who are positive and informative about bilingualism in young children. Conversation is the methodology for this study because it allows the participants and the researcher to work together toward a greater understanding of the topic under study. Through conversations with other interested people I was able to invite them into my questions. Sharing stories of language, and reflecting on what these stories mean and how they have affected and continue to affect us, opens the possibilities for a much greater understanding of what it means to speak more than one language in this society, and how that will affect our children. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

No description available.

No description available.