Inclusion in French Immersion in Canada: One Parent’s Perspective

Abstract

Through an examination of one mother’s journals about her son’s academic struggles to navigate the French immersion (FI) program in Canada, this article explores the tensions that exist when the construct of “inclusion” is juxtaposed against that particular second language-learning context. The analysis of the mother’s journals revealed three distinct stress points between the two systems: the conflict between the diagnostic policies/procedures for learning disabilities and the ideals of inclusion, the “status” often accorded to FI and how that has naturally inhibited inclusion, and the limitations of the research on struggling students in FI. This article argues that in this age of celebrated learner diversity and calls for corresponding differentiated instruction, these stress points must be addressed in order for FI to foster a learning environment that is accessible and beneficial to all.