Each year, EABJM welcomes more than one hundred new non-French speaking students. Over the years, EABJM has developed a program particularly suited to meet the needs of these students, for whom the emotional challenge of relocation is often as great than its academic challenge. The Parents Association also plays a critical role in helping the entire family “adapt.”
Up to and including CP (first grade), children are placed with their age group peers who are often already bilingual. Invariably, these children are fluent in French within a few months. Beginning in CE1 (second grade) and up to seconde (10th grade), new non-French speaking students enroll in “adaptation” classes where they follow a one-year French immersion program. A senior advisor follows them closely and, the following year, they join the mainstream where they continue to be supported with a special French program including three additional hours of French each week and individual support, as required. For all students, English instruction is organized according to levels of proficiency.
Students in adaptation classes follow an enriched French language curriculum and take as many subjects as possible in French so as to reinforce their command of the language through multiple interdisciplinary perspectives. For the same reason, they also share many activities with the other students (physical education, technology, art…). The adaptation program is equally suited for students who will continue their studies in France as it is for those children of families who expect to remain in France for a limited period of time and wish to combine a cultural immersion in French education with the ability to re-enter their own school systems and excel. The adaptation program also welcomes French-speaking students returning from abroad whose command of the French language is insufficient for immediate integration in our bilingual classes.
Beyond language acquisition, cultural immersion takes place naturally through shared classes and extracurricular activities such as visits, outings and trips organized by the school or by its faculty.
