Abstract
The paper addresses the intersections between research findings and Canadian educational policies focusing on four major areas: (a) core and immersion programs for the teaching of French to Anglophone students, (b) policies concerning the learning of English and French by students from immigrant backgrounds, (c) heritage language teaching, and (d) the education of Deaf and hard-of hearing students. With respect to the teaching of French, policy-makers have largely ignored the fact that most core French programs produce meager results for the vast majority of students. Only a small proportion of students (<10%) attend more effective alternatives (e.g., French immersion and Intensive French programs). With respect to immigrant-background students, a large majority of teachers and administrators have not had opportunities to access the knowledge base regarding effective instruction for these students nor have they had opportunities for pre-service or in-service professional development regarding effective instructional practices. Educational policies in most jurisdictions have also treated the linguistic resources that children bring to school with, at best, benign neglect. In some cases (e.g., Ontario) school systems have been explicitly prohibited from instituting enrichment bilingual programs that would promote students’ bilingualism and biliteracy. Finally, with respect to Deaf students, policy-makers have ignored overwhelming research on the positive relationship between academic success and the development of proficiency in natural sign languages, preferring instead to leave uncorrected the proposition that acquisition of languages such as American Sign Language by young children (with or without cochlear implants) will impede children’s language and academic development. The paper reviews the kinds of policies, programs, and practices that could be implemented (at no additional cost) if policy-makers and educators pursued evidence-based educational policies.
Highlights
IntroductionWith respect to the teaching of French, policy-makers have largely ignored the fact that most core French programs produce meager results for the vast majority of students
The paper addresses the intersections between research findings and Canadian educational policies focusing on four major areas: (a) core and immersion programs for the teaching of French to Anglophone students, (b) policies concerning the learning of English and French by students from immigrant backgrounds, (c) heritage language teaching, and (d) the education of Deaf and hard-of hearing students
In the 1970s and 1980s, some funds were provided by the federal government to community groups for purposes of heritage language teaching but those funds were discontinued in the early 1990s
Summary
With respect to the teaching of French, policy-makers have largely ignored the fact that most core French programs produce meager results for the vast majority of students. THE CANADIAN POLICY CONTEXT Canada enjoys a strong international reputation as a leader in the area of second language teaching, primarily as a result of the implementation of French immersion programs in the 1960s, the development of policies at federal and provincial levels with respect to language teaching has been largely incoherent. I review this evidence with respect to four spheres of dual language learning: (a) teaching French as a second language (FSL) in English Canada; (b) teaching English and French as additional languages to newcomer students in English Canada and Quebec; (c) teaching heritage languages; and (d) teaching American Sign Language (ASL) to Deaf students in English Canada.
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