Page 31 - Ontario Schools: Kindergarten to Grade 12

2.6 Languages of Instruction, and Programming
Canada’s two official languages, English and French, are the languages of instruc- tion in English-language and French-language schools across Ontario. American Sign Language (ASL) and Quebec Sign Language (QSL) may also be used as languages of instruction.
2.6.1 English-Language Schools
It is essential for all students in English-language schools to graduate with the ability to use the language of instruction effectively for thinking, learning, and communicating. English is therefore a required subject, and learning opportuni- ties to promote facility in English are to be integrated into the curriculum in all subject areas.
English is taught in each grade in elementary school, and students in secondary schools are required to earn four credits in English (one for each grade) and to meet the provincial secondary school literacy graduation requirement
(see sections 6.1.1 and 6.1.3). For English language learners, schools will offer programs and courses to help them develop proficiency in the language of instruction (see section 3.1).
French is also taught in the English-language schools of Ontario to provide students with the opportunity to become bilingual in the two official languages of Canada. The study of French as a second language is compulsory in elemen- tary school from Grade 4 to Grade 8, and secondary school students are required to earn at least one credit in French as a second language to graduate. Students may also count two additional French credits as compulsory credits towards their diploma. The mandatory French requirement can be met through core French programs, which involve the study of the French language, or through French immersion and extended French programs, in which French is not only taught as a subject but also serves as the language of instruction in other subjects. Schools must offer at least core French programs from Grade 4 to the end of Grade 12. The delivery of French immersion and extended French programs is optional.
2.6.2 French-Language Schools
In addition to fostering academic achievement and supporting bilingualism in the two official languages of Canada, the education provided in French-language schools is intended to enhance students’ bond with the French-language communi- ties of Ontario and to support the development of their sense of cultural identity. (For more information, see Ontario’s Aménagement Linguistique Policy for French- Language Education, 2005.)
Students study French as a subject from Kindergarten to Grade 12, and they must start the study of English as a subject by Grade 5. The requirements regarding the
Part One: elementary and Secondary Schools 29