Student participation in French immersion programs - national trends
2024-10-08 13:00 - 2024-10-31 14:15 (America/Toronto) | Zoom
Showcase meeting 1 – Tuesday, October 8, 2024

PRESENTATION
Dominique Pépin-Filion, Senior Research Analyst, and Étienne Lemyre, Senior Analyst at Statistics Canada, will present the new 2021 census data on immersion education in Canada. They will discuss the new census questions on French immersion in English-language schools, the diversification of children within programs, factors related to participation, and links with bilingualism and the use of French in adulthood. The presentation will be followed by discussion groups to allow showcase participants to ask questions about French immersion in Canada.
N.B.: At the request of several participants, this showcase meeting will be recorded.
To download the presentation in English, click here.
To download the presentation in French, click here.
To watch the video recording of the showcase meeting, click here. Please note: the presentation was communicated in French.

Strategies to boost student perseverance in FSL and French immersion programs through to graduation
2024-11-21 13:00 - 2024-12-21 23:30 | Zoom
Showcase meeting 2 – Thursday, November 21, 2024

PRESENTATIONS

Emeline Leurent, Executive Director, French for the Future

Living one’s “Ah-ha! moment” in French: French for the Future’s approach – The phenomenon of attrition in FSL and French immersion programs is not new, and is well documented. High school is a critical time when students are making choices for their future, often to the detriment of their French programs. Extracurricular activities can play a big part in retaining students in these programs. The French for the Future organization was created in response to this issue, and has developed several strategies to encourage young people to continue their journey with French, at secondary and post-secondary levels, with a “Ma passion, en français” approach.
2. Marie-Claude Dansereau, language professor at the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI) and pedagogical leader for the University of Ottawa’s French Immersion Stream, and Marc Gobeil, Director of the French Immersion Stream.
Continuity of FSL and FI pathways through to university graduation: training bilingual and competent citizens – This presentation will focus on the pedagogical initiatives and strategies implemented at the University of Ottawa’s Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI), to engage students in authentic and meaningful contexts in which they are “users” of the language. Initiatives and strategies that encourage students to continue their FSL journey throughout their university education and beyond.
Please note: At the request of several participants, this showcase meeting will be recorded.
DOWNLOAD THE UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA’S PRESENTATION (English)
DOWNLOAD FRENCH FOR THE FUTURE’S PRESENTATION (English)
DOWNLOAD THE SHOWCASE MEETING RECORDING – VIDEO

Retention and integration of immigrant teachers
2025-01-21 13:00 - 2025-02-21 14:15 | Zoom
Showcase meeting 3 – Tuesday, January 21, 2025
PRESENTATIONS

1. Integration and retention of foreign-trained teachers
Aline Niyubahwe, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT). Discover how internationally educated immigrant teachers (IETs), with their high qualifications and wealth of experience, can not only address the teacher shortage, but also enrich our schools with their diversity and unique role as cultural mediators. This presentation explores the challenges faced by these individuals, from professional integration to pedagogical adjustments, and concrete solutions to improve their transition and retention. Ms. Niybahwe helps us understand how these teachers can positively transform our school environments and contribute to inclusive and innovative education.
2. How to prepare internationally educated teachers? Perspectives from the field
Michelle Jean-Paul, PhD, Assistant Superintendent, Louis Riel School Division, Manitoba, and founder of the Educators of Colour Network. As the person responsible for equity, diversity and inclusion at the Louis-Riel School Division, Michelle Jean-Paul knows first-hand the challenges faced by teachers from immigrant backgrounds. She was instrumental in drafting and implementing a policy to facilitate the integration of immigrant and racialized teachers. Through her work with the Educators of Colour Network, she was able to work with the Manitoba government to relax provisional certification requirements to facilitate access to teaching jobs for immigrant teachers. She will talk about the challenges of accessing positions and her work with school administrators to create an equitable culture within schools and her school division.
ALINE NIYUBAHWE’S PRESENTATION (PDF)
MICHELLLE JEAN-PAUL’S PRESENTATION (PDF)
VIDEO OF THE PRESENTATIONS (ZOOM) – Please note: presentations were communicated in French.

Authentic FSL student experiences
2025-02-27 13:00 - 2025-04-21 00:00 | Zoom
Showcase meeting 4 – Thursday, February 27, 2025

PRESENTATIONS

ImmersART Program – learning French as a second language through arts and culture

Safiatou Ali, Coordinator of school microfinancing programs, and Zinha Muabi, Coordinator of the national ImmersART microgrant program, Fédération culturelle canadienne française (FCCF)
ImmersART is an innovative program for young learners of French as a second language, offering language immersion through authentic artistic and cultural experiences. By integrating creative activities such as music, dance, theater and visual arts, it reinforces language skills while fostering confidence and self-expression. The arrival of the program in autumn 2024 under the initiative of the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française (FCCF), ImmersART offers an immersive approach that moves away from traditional methods to make learning French more lively and engaging, thus facilitating its daily use by students.
2. Experiences Canada – an authentic and fun way to learn French as a second language
Mina Petrous, Youth Exchange Supervisor, Experiences Canada
Learning French at school can be enriching, but speaking the language in another Canadian community where it’s used daily reinforces its relevance and enthusiasm for the French language and culture. Mina Petrous will explain the origins of this nearly 90-year-old organization, and how its reciprocal cultural exchanges have had a long-term impact on the thousands of young people.
3. Question and answer session
The two presentations will be followed by a question answer session moderated by François Ouellette, member of the National Table for French as a Second Language (NTFSL), and Director of the Éducation en français Division at the Department of Education, Government of Nunavut.
PRESENTATIONS (PDF format)
ImmersArt (English)
Experiences Canada (Bilingual)
Showcase meeting recording

Language competencies of FSL teachers
2025-04-22 13:00 - 14:15 | Zoom
Showcase meeting 5 – Tuesday, April 22, 2025
PRESENTATIONS

Reinforcing FSL Teachers’ Confidence and Sense of Self-Efficacy

Veronica Rios, Education and Outreach Assistant, Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT)
CASLT research identified language confidence as crucial for retention and found significant inconsistencies in teacher preparation nationwide. In response, the FSL Fundamentals project launched in 2022 with Canadian Heritage funding, offering self-paced online courses and instructor-led sessions on language proficiency development and pedagogy. These courses target pre-service teachers, those new to FSL teaching, and in-service teachers lacking French-language proficiency or specialized pedagogical knowledge. Unlike general French courses, these feature classroom-focused vocabulary, FSL teaching integration, practical application, and community-building. This session will cover course structure, evolution, results, feedback, and plans for the future.
2. Tackling the Elephant in the Room: the Unexpected Popularity of a French Language Coaching Programme for Immersion Professionals

Lesley Doell, Manager of Educational Services, Cathleen Armstrong, Educational Project Coordinator, Canadian Association of Immersion Professionals (CAIP/ACPI)
ACPI’s “French Language Coaching Programme” provides school boards with coaching to support the development of French language skills for immersion professionals. The coaching model aims to improve language skills in order to express oneself confidently in French as a second or additional language. Teachers have access to tools to become more confident in teaching French, and ultimately, become better language role models for their students.
3. Question and Answer Session
The two presentations will be followed by a question answer session moderated by François Ouellette, member of the National Table for French as a Second Language (NTFSL), and Director of the Éducation en français Division at the Department of Education, Government of Nunavut.
PRESENTATIONS (PDF format)
Presentation by Veronica Rios, CASLT
Presentation by Lesley Doell of ACPI
Video of the presentations (pres. 1 in French and pres. 2 in English)

Supporting and promoting the value of FSL in the context of multilingual development
2025-10-23 13:00 - 2026-04-30 23:30
Showcase meeting 1 – Thursday, October 23, 2025

How can we support and ensure the promotion of French as an essential language in schools, not only in a bilingual context, but also in a multilingual development context?

PRESENTATION

Catherine Gosselin-Lavoie, Assistant Professor of French Language Teaching, Faculty of Education, Université de Montréal, and Claude Quevillon Lacasse, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa
Ms. Gosselin-Lavoie and Ms. Quevillon Lacasse will discuss the promotion of French and language learning from an inclusive and additive perspective, i.e., one in which the different languages in a student’s language repertoire (both those already known and those currently being learned) are seen as complementary rather than competing. The presenters will illustrate their points with concrete examples of teaching approaches tested in different French learning contexts: with newly arrived immigrant students, in immersion classes, and in minority contexts.
In preparation for the showcase meeting, participants are encouraged to visit the website Les approches plurilingues dans les écoles de langue française en Ontario (Multilingual Approaches in French-Language Schools in Ontario) for an overview of the resources available to teachers outside Quebec who are interested in implementing teaching practices that promote linguistic and cultural diversity.
Presentation in English (PDF)
The question and answer portion of the showcase meeting will be moderated by François Ouellette, Director of the Éducation en français Division, Government of Nunavut
Download the 2025-2026 showcase meeting poster
**NEW** Video recording (Zoom) of the showcase meeting

Parents and FSL learning in Canada
2025-11-27 13:00 - 2026-04-30 14:15 | Zoom
Showcase meeting 2 – Thursday, November 27, 2025

How can we promote FSL to parents and facilitate access to programs for those who want it?

PRESENTATIONS:

Robert James Talbot, Manager of Research, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada (OCOL), will briefly revisit some of the highlights of research from the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Accessing opportunity: A study on challenges in French-as-a-second-language education teacher supply and demand in Canada, and link to the broader question of how to promote FSL education to parents and how to facilitate access to FSL programmes. He will do so not only by drawing upon the study, but also his professional and personal experiences as a federal public servant at the Office of the Commissioner, as a French immersion graduate himself, and as a parent of children in French immersion today. He will also draw upon the wise words of his mother who, when asked why his parents had put him in French immersion to begin with, responded simply: “Well, why not?”
Ahdithya Visweswaran, Director, Advocacy and Public Policy, Canadian Parents for French, will provide an update on the state of access to French as a second language programs across the country, with a particular focus on French immersion. He will then present the existing policies and levers that influence the availability of these programs, before unveiling Canadian Parents for French (Ontario)’s legislative project, an initiative aimed at guaranteeing and strengthening access to immersion for all students who wish to learn in French.
DOWNLOAD CPF PRESENTATION
DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION BY THE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF OFFICIAL LANGUAGES
SCREEN THE SHOWCASE MEETING VIDEO

Revitalization and re-energizing of Indigenous languages and teaching of FSL
2026-01-13 13:00 - 2026-04-30 14:15
Showcase meeting 3 – Tuesday, January 13, 2026

In a context where we understand the vital importance of revitalizing/re-energizing indigenous languages, how can we continue to ensure the place of French in our schools, while ensuring that one is not perceived as being at the expense of the other?

PRESENTATIONS:

Dr. Wendy Carr is a Professor Emerita at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She was Associate Dean of Teacher Education, oversaw UBC’s French teacher education programs, and was an FSL teacher and coordinator in BC schools for many years.

She has edited several research publications, including a discussion paper on Official and Indigenous Languages Education in Canada for Canadian Parents for French (CPF). Dr. Carr will provide examples of Indigenous languages education programs across the country. She will also invite us to consider various orientations to language learning and raise questions about how advocates of French and Indigenous languages education can move forward.
2. Dr. Isabelle Côté is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University. She specializes in teacher pre-service and in-service education in the following three programs: French as a second language, French immersion, and the Francophone program. In her doctoral research, she focused on the integration of Indigenous perspectives into the French immersion program in British Columbia.
The purpose of her presentation is to provide a framework for reflection on the colonial linguistic ideologies that still exist and influence language teaching in our schools. Dr. Côté will also explore questions related to the importance of integrating Indigenous perspectives in the context of teaching French as a second language.
3. Ashley Tulugak, Inuit educator and trainer, and François Ouellette, Director of the Éducation en français Division, Government of Nunavut.
Since 2008, Ashley Tulugak has taught all grade levels in Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet, bringing her lived experience and strong connection to Inuit life into the classroom. She now works in Educator Development, supporting and mentoring teachers across the territory.
Ashley’s presentation highlights why revitalizing Inuktut is essential for student belonging, cultural continuity, and the future of education in Nunavut. She will look at the capacity challenges schools face and why strengthening Inuktut must come before expanding into additional languages. The session will also touch on the place of French as an optional offering when capacity and resources permit. Participants will reflect on what sustainable, community-driven language support looks like.
For his part, François Ouellette will bring the perspective of French as a second language education in Nunavut, while respecting the curriculum focused on Inuit language and culture.
PRESENTATION LINKS (will be posted 2026-01-13)

Wendy Carr’s presentation
Isabelle Côté’s presentation
Ashley Tulugak and François Ouellette’s presentation (Inuktut and English)

Showcase meeting RECORDING (video)

FSL and Inclusion
2026-02-24 13:00 - 2026-04-30 14:15
Showcase meeting 4 – Tuesday, February 24, 2026
What does research say about the inclusion of students with diverse backgrounds in FSL classrooms?

PRESENTATIONS :

Mimi Masson (she/her) is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Sherbrooke, where she teaches additional language education. She has worked as a teacher and teacher trainer for over 10 years in Canada and Japan, specializing in the teaching of French and English as a second language. In her presentation, she will explore the concept of inclusion in French as a second language, based on the idea that inclusion is not simply a matter of integrating more students into existing programs, but rather of fundamentally rethinking our pedagogical approaches. Recent research reveals that racialized, allophone, immigrant, and sexual and gender-diverse students experience very different realities in our FSL classrooms. Each profile faces distinct challenges that require tailored pedagogical responses. Three key questions will guide our reflection:

What language standards and varieties of French do we value in our programs?
How do we leverage the linguistic and cultural riches that students already bring to the classroom?
How do we address the historical and cultural dimensions of French language teaching?

2. Reshara Alviarez (she/her) is a language education researcher and graduate of the University of Toronto specializing in inclusive language policies in Creole-speaking and migrant contexts. Her presentation will focus on the challenges and opportunities associated with including students with special needs in additional language classrooms, with an emphasis on inclusive education in FSL programs across Canada.
She conducted a needs analysis of teachers across the country as part of the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT) project “Success for All.” Her presentation will report on the results of this study, including the experiences of teachers, as well as an overview of the tools developed in response to these results.
PRESENTATIONS:
Mimi Masson :

Repenser l’inclusion en français langue seconde (presentation in French)
Accompanying notes in English to support comprehension

Reshara Aviarez:
La diversité en FLS : éducation spécialisée/Diversity in FSL : Special Education (bilingual presentation)
SHOWCASE MEETING VIDEO RECORDING

Highlighting original projects related to FSL in Canada
2026-04-21 13:00 - 2026-05-31 14:15 | Zoom
Showcase meeting 5 – Tuesday, April 21, 2026
What promising projects related to FSL teaching and learning in Canada have been implemented in 2025?

PRESENTATIONS:

Jessica Miller, National Project Manager, Canadian Parents for French. Ms. Miller will tell us about the French Footprints program which promotes French second language learning across Canada amongst parents and educators of children in their early years (ages 0-6.) The Footprints program offers parents and educators tools such as the Parent Resource Hub, where parents can find podcasts, magazines, scholarship opportunities, and other useful resources to introduce French to their children at a young age. Educators also have access to a Training for Educators certification, which allows them to introduce French using practical strategies, confidence-building tools, and ready-to-use resources. The best part? Parents and educators don’t need to know French to participate. Join us in finding out more about taking the first steps towards bilingualism- one footprint at a time.

2. Olivier Alfieri, founder of Elearning.Studio and FLS-ESL.training, and Dominique Scheffel-Dunand, associate professor at York University (Toronto). Mr. Alfieri and Ms. Scheffel-Dunand will provide an overview of the next phase of the Camerise project’s development as a provincial mechanism to optimize the quality, consistency, and equity of French as a Second Language (FSL/FLA) and IF learning experiences for K-12 students in Ontario. Building on a digital educational infrastructure, community-co-created resources and tools, and partnerships developed since 2020, the project focuses on implementing and sustaining evidence-based teaching practices in classrooms.
By bringing together synergies between teachers, educational advisors, researchers, administrators, and institutional partners in a space for collaboration and mediation, Camerise Communities promotes educational innovation and continuous professional development.
PRESENTATIONS
Jessica Miller, CPF : French Footprints
Olivier Alfieri and Dominique Scheffel-Dunand : Camerise Communities – presentation in English and presentation in both French and English
