NEW: Monique Bournot-Trites and Ulrike Tellowitz, Report of Current Research on the Effects of Second Language Learning on First Language Literacy Skills, commissioned by the Atlantic Provinces Educational Foundation, 2002 (download PDF)
Rehorick, Sandra, Joseph Dicks, Paula Kristmanson, and Fiona Cogswell, Quality Learning in French Second Language in New Brunswick: a brief to the Dept. of Education. Second Language Education Centre, UNB Fredericton, 2006 (download Part 1 (PDF) and Part 2 (PDF)).
- 1 -OPEN LETTER TO THE HONOURABLE KELLY LAMROCK, MINISTER OF
EDUCATION, PROVINCE OF NEW BRUNSWICK
Monday, March 17, 2008
Dear Minister Lamrock,
In the New Brunswick Report “When Kids Come First” the Premier’s message reads” inpart, “As we embark upon a new era in New Brunswick, our government is focused on achieving self-sufficiency for our province by 2026. In order to reach that goal, we must begin with our most important resource, the children of New Brunswick. As we pursue our quest for self-sufficiency, it is important to remember that the children entering
kindergarten next September will be in their mid-twenties and entering the workforce in the same timeframe as we hope to achieve our self-sufficiency goal. These children and others already in our schools today are the youth that will inherit our province and provide the leadership and creative new ideas that will move New Brunswick forward.
This reality is a stark reminder that if we fail to invest in our children today, we will not reap the benefits of self-sufficiency tomorrow.
Excerpt “In a self-sufficient New Brunswick we will need citizens who are creative, think critically, solve problems, work together, work across cultures and borders and who have the ability to learn new things every day.”
Excerpt “When kids come first is designed to ensure New Brunswick’s education system fosters innovative, critical thinkers who have been provided with the opportunity to find something that has ignited their passion for learning.” Excerpt “When kids come first demands that every adult puts the interest of kids first, that learning becomes an important value of New Brunswick culture, that every child takes pride in learning and that all of our children are helped in every way possible to reach their full potential.”
Your own words are “What kind of world will our children walk into in the year 2020? What will they need to know? What will they need to have experienced? How will they need to think, to see the world, if they are to succeed? No one has a crystal ball. But we can still picture the world that awaits today’s five-year-old at the kindergarten steps.”
Mr Minister, it is our belief that these statements support the learning of French as a second language. The New Brunswick citizens of tomorrow that you are seeking are in the Early French Immersion program now. Early Immersion remains the best chance of bilingualism that Anglophone students have. Research supports this statement.
French Immersion is appropriate for the majority of students. If there is streaming it is caused by lack of resource for the learners that struggle (whether in English or in French). If there is attrition in the program, this again can be set at the door of a need for additional resource. If there are a number of students that don’t achieve the benchmarks this is probably because there is a lack of pertinent French courses offered
in high schools and lack of sufficient time on task.
- 2 -OPEN LETTER TO THE HONOURABLE KELLY LAMROCK, MINISTER OF
EDUCATION, PROVINCE OF NEW BRUNSWICK
The fact that the Immersion program has seen the success it has - is in a great part due to the diligence of teachers, the hard work of students and the knowledge that they are going to be better off in the work world because of that hard work. This does not even take into account the cognitive value of Early French Immersion. So we urge you to re-look at the conclusions \ recommendations of the Review of French second-language and programming services Report. French Immersion needs
to be strengthened not eliminated. The world is watching New Brunswick.
We applaud your initiative into seeking way to ensure that New Brunswick children have the best education possible. That education must include an opportunity to study in French at whatever entry point they or their parents choose. According to research Early Immersion has had the best success rate. Do not do New Brunswick a disservice.
Please look for alternative ways to achieve your goal.
With regards,
Claude Parent
President, Canadian Parents for French PEI
PO Box 2785
Charlottetown, PE
C1A 8C4
902-368-7240 http://www.cpfpei.pe.ca
email to: glecky@cpfpei.pe.ca
Report of Current Research on the Effects of Second Language Learning on First Language Literacy Skills commissioned by the Atlantic Provinces Educational Foundation in 2002
Willms’ latest report… I can’t believe he is persisting in using stats from Croll Lee.
29042008
Eric (10:33:16) :
I’m getting a ‘page not found’ from that link.
Not surprised that he’s using the stats though. What else has he got to support his claims? If they don’t use Croll/Lee they’ll have to trot out fortune cookies and horoscopes to show how their plan will work.
Willms and Shelly Grahamrock (I figure they’ve been a couple long enough that they deserve a ‘Brangelina’ or ‘Bennifer’ type title) are running out of options.
[...] Documents [...]
- 1 -OPEN LETTER TO THE HONOURABLE KELLY LAMROCK, MINISTER OF
EDUCATION, PROVINCE OF NEW BRUNSWICK
Monday, March 17, 2008
Dear Minister Lamrock,
In the New Brunswick Report “When Kids Come First” the Premier’s message reads” inpart, “As we embark upon a new era in New Brunswick, our government is focused on achieving self-sufficiency for our province by 2026. In order to reach that goal, we must begin with our most important resource, the children of New Brunswick. As we pursue our quest for self-sufficiency, it is important to remember that the children entering
kindergarten next September will be in their mid-twenties and entering the workforce in the same timeframe as we hope to achieve our self-sufficiency goal. These children and others already in our schools today are the youth that will inherit our province and provide the leadership and creative new ideas that will move New Brunswick forward.
This reality is a stark reminder that if we fail to invest in our children today, we will not reap the benefits of self-sufficiency tomorrow.
Excerpt “In a self-sufficient New Brunswick we will need citizens who are creative, think critically, solve problems, work together, work across cultures and borders and who have the ability to learn new things every day.”
Excerpt “When kids come first is designed to ensure New Brunswick’s education system fosters innovative, critical thinkers who have been provided with the opportunity to find something that has ignited their passion for learning.” Excerpt “When kids come first demands that every adult puts the interest of kids first, that learning becomes an important value of New Brunswick culture, that every child takes pride in learning and that all of our children are helped in every way possible to reach their full potential.”
Your own words are “What kind of world will our children walk into in the year 2020? What will they need to know? What will they need to have experienced? How will they need to think, to see the world, if they are to succeed? No one has a crystal ball. But we can still picture the world that awaits today’s five-year-old at the kindergarten steps.”
Mr Minister, it is our belief that these statements support the learning of French as a second language. The New Brunswick citizens of tomorrow that you are seeking are in the Early French Immersion program now. Early Immersion remains the best chance of bilingualism that Anglophone students have. Research supports this statement.
French Immersion is appropriate for the majority of students. If there is streaming it is caused by lack of resource for the learners that struggle (whether in English or in French). If there is attrition in the program, this again can be set at the door of a need for additional resource. If there are a number of students that don’t achieve the benchmarks this is probably because there is a lack of pertinent French courses offered
in high schools and lack of sufficient time on task.
- 2 -OPEN LETTER TO THE HONOURABLE KELLY LAMROCK, MINISTER OF
EDUCATION, PROVINCE OF NEW BRUNSWICK
The fact that the Immersion program has seen the success it has - is in a great part due to the diligence of teachers, the hard work of students and the knowledge that they are going to be better off in the work world because of that hard work. This does not even take into account the cognitive value of Early French Immersion. So we urge you to re-look at the conclusions \ recommendations of the Review of French second-language and programming services Report. French Immersion needs
to be strengthened not eliminated. The world is watching New Brunswick.
We applaud your initiative into seeking way to ensure that New Brunswick children have the best education possible. That education must include an opportunity to study in French at whatever entry point they or their parents choose. According to research Early Immersion has had the best success rate. Do not do New Brunswick a disservice.
Please look for alternative ways to achieve your goal.
With regards,
Claude Parent
President, Canadian Parents for French PEI
PO Box 2785
Charlottetown, PE
C1A 8C4
902-368-7240
http://www.cpfpei.pe.ca
email to: glecky@cpfpei.pe.ca
http://acpi.scedu.umontreal.ca/pdf/report.pdf
Report of Current Research on the Effects of Second Language Learning on First Language Literacy Skills commissioned by the Atlantic Provinces Educational Foundation in 2002
http://www.unb.ca/crisp/pdf/pbrief_case_for_french_instruction_(28_Apr_2008).pdf
Willms’ latest report… I can’t believe he is persisting in using stats from Croll Lee.
I’m getting a ‘page not found’ from that link.
Not surprised that he’s using the stats though. What else has he got to support his claims? If they don’t use Croll/Lee they’ll have to trot out fortune cookies and horoscopes to show how their plan will work.
Willms and Shelly Grahamrock (I figure they’ve been a couple long enough that they deserve a ‘Brangelina’ or ‘Bennifer’ type title) are running out of options.
http://www.unb.ca/crisp/pdf/pbrief_case_for_french_instruction_(28_Apr_2008).pdf
Sorry — I think the link is too long for the space provided… not sure why it isn’t wrapping. It should have _(28_Apr_2008).pdf at the end of it.
I will put it on the page, above.