French Immersion

French Immersion

We are excited to inform you that St. Joseph’s Catholic High School will be offering full French Immersion programming to all students coming into Grade 9 as of September 2024. The major goal of French Immersion is to provide the opportunity for non-francophone students to become bilingual in English and French.  Please Note: This program is only available to students enrolled in a French Immersion or a French First Language program at the elementary level.

French Immersion programs are optional, and the Ministry of Education allows school boards to determine their own guidelines. The Ministry’s vision for all French as a Second Language programs is that “Students will communicate and interact with growing confidence in French, one of Canada’s official languages, while developing the knowledge, skills, and perspectives they need to participate fully as citizens in Canada and in the world” (The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9-12, French as a Second Language).

The LDCSB awards a certificate of completion to all students who graduate from Grade 12 having completed the French Immersion program. To attain this certificate, students must successfully complete 10 full credits taught in French. St Joseph’s will be offering the following credits to our French Immersion students:  

French Certificate

The LDCSB awards a certificate of completion to all students who graduate from Grade 12 having completed the program requirements for each of the following programs: Core French, Extended French or French Immersion. The Ministry of Education does not issue certificates for the successful completion of any French program. Completion of program requirements are reflected in the student’s transcript.

Entrance into University Programs

Universities require the successful completion of a 4U French course as well as appropriate grade averages to enter a French Program. Any person meeting the entrance requirements of the university is eligible to study French as a Second Language (FSL) no matter which French program was studied in secondary school. Some universities have entrance exams to determine the appropriate selection of courses. Some universities in Ontario offer French Immersion programs. Entrance into these programs would be determined based on the above requirements, not based on the French program that was studied in high school.

DELF Exam

The DELF exam is the Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française. It is an exam offered by France International Education as a means of validating the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) proficiency levels which are recognized world-wide. A DELF certificate validates your level of proficiency which can be used for employment purposes. The DELF exam level is chosen individually by each student. The students select the level at which they feel they would be most successful. Students receive support from their French teacher to select the exam level based on established criteria for each of the CEFR levels. The FSL program that is studied does not designate a particular DELF level. The more time spent learning and using a language would lead to greater proficiency. There are many opportunities outside of school that would allow for additional practice if desired.