Responding to the call: Responding to the call: Practices and effects of Practices and effects of including Anglophone including Anglophone

families in a Francophone families in a Francophone school in Canadaschool in Canada

Carla DiGiorgio, PhDCarla DiGiorgio, PhD

University of Prince Edward University of Prince Edward IslandIsland

CanadaCanada

IntroductionIntroduction

• History of French language in Canada History of French language in Canada

• Canadian Charter of Rights and Canadian Charter of Rights and FreedomsFreedoms

• The French school system The French school system

• inclusioninclusion

Goals for Francophone Goals for Francophone schools schools

• Welcome non-Francophone students Welcome non-Francophone students from target populationsfrom target populations

• Develop school’s role as centre of Develop school’s role as centre of French communityFrench community

• Better relations with the majorityBetter relations with the majority

• Develop linguistic vibrancy in schoolDevelop linguistic vibrancy in school

• More early childhood servicesMore early childhood services

Research questionsResearch questions

• How did one school attempt to How did one school attempt to become open to target populationsbecome open to target populations

• How did this affect its relationship to How did this affect its relationship to the Francophone and Anglophone the Francophone and Anglophone community?community?

MethodologyMethodology

• Ethnographic case studyEthnographic case study

• The schoolThe school

• Data collectionData collection

• Data analysisData analysis

• Research issuesResearch issues

Data summaryData summary

• Interview: 13 parents, 11 teachers, 8 Interview: 13 parents, 11 teachers, 8 students, 5 admin/special services students, 5 admin/special services personnel, 3 teacher assistants (total personnel, 3 teacher assistants (total 40).40).

• Observation: 60 days, 173 students, Observation: 60 days, 173 students, 20 staff.20 staff.

• Documents: newspapers, school board Documents: newspapers, school board and school documents (total 66).and school documents (total 66).

FINDINGSFINDINGS

1. Welcome non-Francophone 1. Welcome non-Francophone students from target students from target populations:populations:Extending the school to include Extending the school to include Anglophone familiesAnglophone families

• Pamphlets, transportation, communication Pamphlets, transportation, communication with parents, lessons, events, language policy with parents, lessons, events, language policy

What do parents want?What do parents want?

• French languageFrench language

• Small numbersSmall numbers

• Attention to individual needsAttention to individual needs

• SafetySafety

• Access to resources and servicesAccess to resources and services

• To be acceptedTo be accepted

French languageFrench language

• ““Why? Because I’m totally French. Why? Because I’m totally French. Bilingual. Ah, I’m not Acadian. I’m Bilingual. Ah, I’m not Acadian. I’m French. Um. I wanted her because French. Um. I wanted her because my wife don’t speak French, I wanted my wife don’t speak French, I wanted her to at least go to French school her to at least go to French school and that would be the first uh easier and that would be the first uh easier way of her learning French”.way of her learning French”.

Small class sizeSmall class size

• ““and but the main reason was class and but the main reason was class size. Because the other schools in size. Because the other schools in the area..it was all talk about class the area..it was all talk about class sizes and not enough attention for sizes and not enough attention for students, and we just felt that he students, and we just felt that he would get a better education there”.would get a better education there”.

Attention to individual Attention to individual needsneeds• ““But one of the things I found with the But one of the things I found with the

teachers here with regard to (child), teachers here with regard to (child), and no doubt it’s the same with the and no doubt it’s the same with the other students, they almost intuitively other students, they almost intuitively can sense what the kids know and what can sense what the kids know and what they don’t know. They can tell by, they they don’t know. They can tell by, they get to know them so well from facial get to know them so well from facial reactions and body language and reactions and body language and stuff…you know, they know, they really stuff…you know, they know, they really know him?”know him?”

SafetySafety

Mom: (speaking of English school) Uh, well, it’s just kind of Mom: (speaking of English school) Uh, well, it’s just kind of violent. And there’s no supervision…violent. And there’s no supervision…

Ron: This school is leaps and bounds ahead of the other one…Ron: This school is leaps and bounds ahead of the other one…

Marie: She wouldn’t survive at (English school). She wouldn’t.Marie: She wouldn’t survive at (English school). She wouldn’t.

Ron: She’s too innocent. She’d be taken advantage of. Ron: She’s too innocent. She’d be taken advantage of.

Marie: Beaten to death…I think it would be a lot more stressful Marie: Beaten to death…I think it would be a lot more stressful at another school. I’d be terrified about lunchtime with her. at another school. I’d be terrified about lunchtime with her. I’d be terrified of school grounds. I’d be terrified about her I’d be terrified of school grounds. I’d be terrified about her getting a bus.getting a bus.

Access to resources and Access to resources and servicesservices

• ““Well, okay. Our daughter as you know she Well, okay. Our daughter as you know she is delayed in a lot of aspects and we were is delayed in a lot of aspects and we were looking at another school, but they couldn’t looking at another school, but they couldn’t guarantee us a teacher’s assistant and they guarantee us a teacher’s assistant and they couldn’t guarantee us the resources. And couldn’t guarantee us the resources. And we thought about it, and it’s like, this would we thought about it, and it’s like, this would be the perfect school. Because there’s more be the perfect school. Because there’s more programs available, more funding, and programs available, more funding, and (child) would be starting basically at the (child) would be starting basically at the level with everyone else…We wanted her to level with everyone else…We wanted her to have a good first year”.have a good first year”.

To be acceptedTo be accepted

• ““We go in there probably maybe We go in there probably maybe twice a month anyway and bring twice a month anyway and bring them, just walk into their class…and them, just walk into their class…and they like that? They’re not like, they like that? They’re not like, ‘where are you going’ and you know, ‘where are you going’ and you know, they recognize you? And it’s really they recognize you? And it’s really like, I don’t know, friendly. Nice. Ya..like, I don’t know, friendly. Nice. Ya..

Positive effectsPositive effects

• larger school=more resourceslarger school=more resources• Larger communityLarger community• Learning FrenchLearning French• InclusiveInclusive• Parents buy in and participate: “This is just Parents buy in and participate: “This is just

for the parents to learn French. ‘Cause for the parents to learn French. ‘Cause they really want it to encompass your they really want it to encompass your whole life…It’s amazing. We love the whole life…It’s amazing. We love the school. We’re so happy. Well, I love this school. We’re so happy. Well, I love this school. (Father): I sing its praises all the school. (Father): I sing its praises all the time.time.

Negative effectsNegative effects

• Language barrier for some leads to less Language barrier for some leads to less participation: “That’s the only thing about that participation: “That’s the only thing about that school. They don’t make you feel unwelcome but school. They don’t make you feel unwelcome but I can’t volunteer to do things, because I don’t I can’t volunteer to do things, because I don’t speak French well enough? Like you know to go speak French well enough? Like you know to go and dole out pizza or something, you know what I and dole out pizza or something, you know what I mean? That’s the only thing. So I don’t get to.” mean? That’s the only thing. So I don’t get to.”

• Different levels of language and commitment in Different levels of language and commitment in schoolschool

• Heterogeneous communityHeterogeneous community• Some parents do more than others-resentmentSome parents do more than others-resentment

The struggle, the balanceThe struggle, the balance

• FrenchFrench

• CultureCulture

• LanguageLanguage

• participationparticipation

• EnglishEnglish

• GrowthGrowth

• Academic goalsAcademic goals

• Less participationLess participation

2. Better relations with 2. Better relations with majority: School identity in the majority: School identity in the public eye public eye • Media e.g. no sharing with English Media e.g. no sharing with English

board board

• ReputationReputation

• Bilingual Sports collaborationBilingual Sports collaboration

• Facility as community centre and Facility as community centre and rentalrental

• Acceptance of families no matter what Acceptance of families no matter what challenges challenges

3. Multicultural/lingual 3. Multicultural/lingual vibrancyvibrancy• Bilingual onlyBilingual only• Levels of ‘Frenchness’: Quebec, Acadian, Parisian: Levels of ‘Frenchness’: Quebec, Acadian, Parisian:

“Um, I’m more Acadian. There’s some- they “Um, I’m more Acadian. There’s some- they (children) correct me. They’re at the stage where I’ll (children) correct me. They’re at the stage where I’ll be talking, and I have an Acadian word that comes be talking, and I have an Acadian word that comes out, or if I’m saying something, I’ll say one word that out, or if I’m saying something, I’ll say one word that means the opposite of another one, and they will means the opposite of another one, and they will correct me, which is nice to know, that they are correct me, which is nice to know, that they are picking it up”.picking it up”.

• Formality of immersion from grade one; zero Formality of immersion from grade one; zero tolerancetolerance

• Teacher turnover and mixture of FrenchnessTeacher turnover and mixture of Frenchness• Multiculturalism not as pronounced, although global Multiculturalism not as pronounced, although global

transfer of clientele is evident transfer of clientele is evident

4. Early French education4. Early French education

• marketingmarketing

• Class division according to languageClass division according to language

• Effect: streamsEffect: streams

5. Make school centre of 5. Make school centre of ‘French’ community: ‘French’ community: challengeschallenges• Large geographic span: “yes it’s more Large geographic span: “yes it’s more

difficult because the people who attend difficult because the people who attend live in the larger area, not just the city…so live in the larger area, not just the city…so it’s not obvious that these people can form it’s not obvious that these people can form one family, and that’s something that’s one family, and that’s something that’s missing…they are together in the morning, missing…they are together in the morning, but in the afternoon they go home in but in the afternoon they go home in different directions”different directions”

• Language gets in the way of participationLanguage gets in the way of participation

Practices and effectsPractices and effects

• Festivals, dances, movie nights, dinnersFestivals, dances, movie nights, dinners

• Appreciated more by the families who felt Appreciated more by the families who felt more accepted (had higher needs): “Ya…more accepted (had higher needs): “Ya…and I took the kids in and a couple of their and I took the kids in and a couple of their friends actually, to that (school festival) friends actually, to that (school festival) and they were really impressed, like, they and they were really impressed, like, they thought the school was great, and the little thought the school was great, and the little one said, ‘I want to go to French school one said, ‘I want to go to French school too!”too!”

Lower needs=more criticism, Lower needs=more criticism, less buy inless buy in

Family who chose the school for academic strength: Family who chose the school for academic strength: Dad: There’s no real standouts there.Dad: There’s no real standouts there.Me: Speaking as a professional.Me: Speaking as a professional.Dad: No stars. It may be a while for the band Dad: No stars. It may be a while for the band

program to get…program to get…Mom: Get off the ground.Mom: Get off the ground.Dad: Ya. Ya.Dad: Ya. Ya.Me: Oh, you mean the recorder playing.Me: Oh, you mean the recorder playing.Dad: Oh just pretty much everything. Ya pretty Dad: Oh just pretty much everything. Ya pretty

much at a base level. much at a base level.

ConclusionConclusion

• Dual population, F1 and F2Dual population, F1 and F2

• Principal tried many efforts to include Principal tried many efforts to include familiesfamilies

• Some were successful, others not so muchSome were successful, others not so much

• Disabilities led some families to buy in to Disabilities led some families to buy in to the school’s expectationsthe school’s expectations

• What is community? Different families What is community? Different families needed different things from the school, needed different things from the school, were more or less willing to get involvedwere more or less willing to get involved

Limitations and Limitations and recommendationsrecommendations

• Small school, one schoolSmall school, one school• Snapshot in time, what of the Snapshot in time, what of the

present, the future?present, the future?• Need more research into other Need more research into other

languages, communitieslanguages, communities• The overlap between language and The overlap between language and

academic needs of families academic needs of families interesting- shift in capital. interesting- shift in capital.