Is English Really Necessary in French Immersion Classrooms: A Case Study
This case study investigates how and why five French immersion teachers use English in a second language classroom and if other first languages are used or incorporated in the classroom. The teacher participants in this study are early French immersion teachers working in either a Grade 1 or Grade 2 classroom in a Catholic school division. Four of the teacher participants work in single-track French immersion school and one worked in a dual-track French immersion school. The data was collected via interviews, reflective journals and still photos of the participants’ classrooms. In brief, the findings of this study demonstrate that the teacher participants use English in the classroom for a variety of reasons. These reasons can be classified into three groups: 1) personal beliefs regarding first language use, 2) situations the teacher has control over and 3) situations where the perceived needs of the students affect the choices of the teacher. In addition, the teacher participants in this study reveal that very little thought is given to the students who do not have English as their first language, nor is there an attempt to incorporate those languages into the classroom. This thesis concludes with a discussion of possible considerations for French immersion teachers, professional development opportunities, and teacher education programs and future research suggestions.
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Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina