Project Overview
- Research topics
- Region: National
- Project Overview
Project status
- In progress :
- April 2023-March 2026
Project manager or
resource person
- Megan Chartrand
- National Project Manager
Partner organization(s)
Canadian Parents for French - National
French Footprints: FSL in the Early Years
Numerous studies have shown that early childhood is a decisive period for the cognitive, social, and emotional development of children, and that these first years are critical for language acquisition. Exposure to the French language in early childhood promotes language learning in later grades and contributes to improved bilingualism.
Key activities:
1) Online Training Portal for English-speaking Early Years practitioners
- Create promotional and experiential assets, based on the feedback and gaps identified by participants in the first phase, to increase the participation of practitioners in the e-learning modules.
- Target communications to increase awareness of the learning opportunity, especially in communities across Canada where access to French may be particularly challenging.
- Distribute "French Footprints Kits" for parents and educators across Canada.
- Provide grants and scholarships to Educators and Parents to facilitate affordable access to FSL courses for their classroom and children respectively.
2) Parents Support Hub for English-speaking and Allophone parents/families
- Build more assets for the hub.
- Update the organization’s Parent French Immersion Kindergarten Information Nights and increase the number of presentations.
- Continue virtual programming, with 123 Petits Pas, for underserved families.
Targeted Results
Early-childhood French educators’ training is expanded.
Mechanisms to bring French second language into a child’s life are made available.
Parents and families have more educational resources and information available to them.
Number of parents and families accessing and utilizing the resources on the hub has increased.
Main takeaways (learnings)
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There is more interest for FSL learning resources for anglophone families with young children than there are resources created with them in mind.
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Linguistic insecurity prevents many parents and educators from getting involved in French-language learning before children start school with confidently bilingual FSL teachers.
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Early exposure to French relieves stress and linguistic resistance in young children once they do encounter French in school.
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Potential/desired collaborations
English-speaking organizations specializing in early childhood
Organizations and networks of parents and professionals working in the field of early childhood
Postsecondary institutions that train early childhood professionals
