The secondary component of the French Immersion program provides students with the opportunity to continue their studies and the development of higher level thinking and verbal skills in their second language. Successful graduates of the full program at the end of Grade 12 receive a Bilingual Graduation Certificate in addition to the provincial "Dogwood" certificate.

The early Immersion program provides one-half of the school day in French-language study for the full seven years of the Intermediate Program (Grades 4-10). The subjects taught in Grades 8-10 are a natural continuation of the child's elementary experience and, thus, pose no unreasonable challenges as students make the transition to secondary school. By continuing into secondary in French Immersion, students maintain and extend their expertise in French in a way they cannot do in other programs.

The late Immersion students take an identical program of studies in the secondary years as their early Immersion counterparts. Beginning in grade 11, the amount of time in French is further reduced by one-half. This arrangement enables the students to pursue specialized courses to meet post-secondary requirements. Then, in grade 12, a further reduction in time spent in French occurs. Francais 12 permits the Immersion students to maintain their French proficiency in their final year of school. This is illustrated on the following table.

A Fourth Required Course (varies with School)   

Criteria for admission

Completion of an elementary French Immersion program (or its equivalent if transferring from another province or country).

Application Procedures

Students must complete an application form to continue in secondary French immersion. Completed application forms are returned to the student's elementary school.

French Immersion Program Head contact, M Lukas Morel (email: lmorel@vsb.bc.ca)   

For general information you can also contact the Consultant for Modern Languages in Learning Services, (604) 713-5228.

Learning a new language "opens doors to knowledge, improves communication skills and provides an advantage in the increasingly competitive workplace." P. Prehaut, Canadian Parents for French.

**Please refer to the Course Planning Guide for more detailed course information