VOL.

1 MARCH 2021

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
SIERRA ERBACH

Introduction
As an French as a second language (FSL)
learner and educator, I believe in
creating an inclusive learning
environment for all students. I have
heard stories of FSL teachers excluding
students with exceptionalities by
claiming the immersion program does not
fit those children. In reality, I feel
that those teachers do not fit the role
of being an inclusive educator. Though
there can exist challenges when creating
an inclusive FSL classroom, teachers
should be making a space for students
with exceptionalities in their classrooms "It is up to the
and putting forth the effort to use
strategies that will help these students.
It is up to the educator to create
educator to create
inclusivity in their
inclusivity in their FSL classroom, not
exclusivity.

I believe anyone can learn a second

language and every child deserves the FSL classroom,
opportunity to learn in a second language
environment. As previously stated, that
can come with challenges. The goal of
not exclusivity."
this document is to streamline
informative research and practical tips
for including students with
exceptionalities in FSL classrooms. The
information in this document is meant to
target students with exceptionalities,
but in general, any strategies and tips
outlined will benefit all students in FSL
classrooms. Creating this document has
helped me greatly as an FSL educator and
I hope it assists other educators as they
create inclusive FSL classrooms.
Challenges of FSL for students with exceptionalities
All students, exceptionalities or not, have their own unique
capabilities, interests, strengths and challenges. The challenges
listed below come from my personal observations in FSL classrooms
because I do not want to surmise what challenges a student might be
going through. Each student with an exceptionality due to their
uniqueness needs their own intervention strategy to support their
success in an FSL program (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2015).

1. Students with a fixed mindset

Some students with exceptionalities quickly develop an “I can’t do it”
attitude when it comes to school as they face more challenges than
most. Fixed mindsets cause students to think their failure is pre-
determined and they will not feel confident in their abilities to
overcome challenges (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2015).

2. Student with reading challenges

These students are likely struggling with reading both in English and
French. Too often teachers assume French is too difficult for the
student if they are unable to acquire reading skills. I think it is
important to teach these students reading comprehension skills that
they can also transfer to reading in French (Ontario Ministry of
Education, 2015).

3. Students with attention challenges

I have witnessed students with attention challenges
be distracted and less able to communicate in their
L2 because they are not always focused on language
acquisition. These students can still have attention
challenges in a English class. Rather than assume
the student cannot focus because of the language of
instruction, I think it is important for teachers to
teach using their students’ interests.

4. Student with behaviour challenges

These challenges may not stem from the language of instruction being in
French, though they could arise because of feelings of frustration.
This is when positive reinforcement for participating in French lessons
can encourage students. Additionally, I feel like many students with
behavioural challenges are not put in the French Immersion (FI) program
to begin with because parents and teachers do not think the student can
handle learning a L2. I find a lot of students with behavioural
challenges end up at English schools, leading to a lack of classroom
support. In my opinion, there tends to be more support available in FI
programs because there are less students with behavioural challenges
due to previous exclusion practices.
Strategies for including students with exceptionalities
So how do we overcome those challenges? Below I have listed
effective strategies to promote an inclusive FSL classroom:

1. Put the student’s needs first

This means creating a student profile to develop learning goals and
a learning environment that is specific to the student (Ontario
Ministry of Education, 2013a).

2. Differentiated instruction
This can follow the first strategy as a teacher will know the
student’s strengths, interests, areas of need, motivations and
abilities, then they can adapt lessons to better fit the student
(Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013a).

3. Early identification of students who require literacy remediation

This can help with phonological awareness and can be an opportunity
to teach students to use assistive technology (Ontario Ministry of
Education, 2015a).

4. Consulting students
Create an open dialogue with students to determine what would help
them and engage them when learning French (Ontario Ministry of
Education, 2013).

5. Accommodations
More processing time, oral responses, assistive technology, drawing
pictures instead of writing, etc. are all accommodations that can be
used in FSL classrooms for any student (Ontario Ministry of
Education, 2013b).

6. Create a positive learning environment

Give positive feedback when students overcome challenges. Teach
students to self-advocate when they need help. Give explicit, but
gentle corrective feedback to hello students with language
acquisition (Curriculum Services Canada, 2015).

7. Use French as the language of instruction

Model the use of French at all times to maximize the target
language. Use gestures and repetition to aid students with
comprehension (Curriculum Services Canada, 2015).

8. Use visual cues

Reinforce vocabulary by using photos and gestures to help students
understand new words and phrases (Curriculum Services Canada, 2015).
Benefits of FSL for students with exceptionalities
Now that I have listed some effective strategies for including students
with exceptionalities, let us delve into the ways in which students
reap the rewards of learning a second language.

1. Cognitive benefits
When learning a second language, the brain
is much more flexible as many regions of
the brain are active. For example, the
motor cortex controls the lips and mouth,
Wernicke’s area organizes language, the
Broca’s area processes sound and the
auditory cortex receives sound
(Participation Learning, 2020). Bilingual
brains have a higher density of grey
matter, which means there are many more
neurons and synapses firing off and being
active (TED-ED, 2015). A lot of the brain
is being used when learning and using a
"It is like a workout
second language, so it is like a workout
for the brain! for the brain!"
2. Academic benefits
There exists many academic benefits to learning a second language.
Research shows that metalinguistic awareness that comes with learning a
second language benefits students with exceptionalities that may
struggle with reading. Studies show that FI students who are at-risk
readers benefit from FI because they can transfer their reading
comprehension strategies across languages (Ontario Ministry of
Education, 2015). Not only does learning a second language enhance
literacy skills, it also enhances problem solving skills because the
brain is more flexible and creative from learning a second language, as
previously stated in my first benefit (Alberta Education, 2009).

3. Social benefits
When students with exceptionalities participate in FI programs, they
have increased motivation, self-esteem and confidence because they feel
included with their peers.
Social benefits associated with the participation in FSL of students
with special education needs include increased motivation, self-esteem,
and confidence, which can be linked to being included with one’s peers
(Ontario Ministry of Education, 2015). Students equipped with multiple
languages can understand and empathize with multiple perspectives,
therefore making them more social and self-assured (Participate
Learning, 2020).
4. Cultural benefits
Learning a second language allows
students to be exposed to another
culture. Bilingual students are more
likely to value inclusivity and
embrace diversity because they are
able to see multiple perspectives
(Participate Learning, 2020). Within
Canada, it is a huge benefit to know
both official languages (Ontario
Ministry of Education, 2013a). "When children start at a
Therefore, students with
exceptionalities gain access to young age, they learn to
these benefits by receiving support
to become English-French bilingual
communicators (Ontario Ministry of
develop a love and respect
Education, 2015).
for their second language."
5. Employment benefits
Though it may seem premature to discuss employment benefits when
looking at FSL in elementary schools, it is important to note that
developing the competencies for French (and the adoration for the
language) are best begun at a young age when the brain is more plastic
(TED-Ed, 2015). Older students and even adults can learn a second
language; I am not trying to argue that. However, when children start
at a young age, they learn to develop a love and respect for their
second language, which can motivate them to seek employment
opportunities in that language. This was the case for me, at least, as
I knew I wanted to be a teacher and it became apparent that knowing
French would benefit me greatly in the education world. In general, for
second language learners, there exists greater employment options and
earning potential, so it is an asset for all students to learn a second
language (Alberta Education, 2009). We are more connected than ever
with the Internet, so language skills and having more than one language
is important (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013a).

"For second language learners, there exists greater

employment options and earning potential."
It is worth noting that most students with exceptionalities would have
no inherent difficulties learning a second language because their areas
of needs do not usually relate to receptive or productive language.
However, students with those areas of need can still learn a second
language, like French, with the appropriate support (Ontario Ministry
of Education, 2015).
My Experience
In my practice, I have always aimed to use French as my only language
of instruction. If students do not understand, I use gestures, show
them photos or try to explain what I mean in a different way. I have
noticed that students with exceptionalities benefit greatly when I use
short sentences and pictures. It greatly helps their understanding.
Additionally, I always use differentiated instruction and create tasks
or worksheets for students working in the level 3 category and students
working in the level 2 category. This works well because it fits
students’ abilities so they are motivated to completed a task, rather
than defeated and how difficult the task is.

I have also noticed the need for teacher support and training. As
stated in the Including Students with Special Education Needs in FSL
Program, “FSL teachers, like all teachers, need appropriate training
and resources in order to help them support students with special
education needs in their classrooms” (2015). Without special education
training, it can be hard to implement strategies that will benefit
students with exceptional needs. Keeping in mind that with this
training, all students will benefit from the strategies and supports.

REFERENCES
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2015). Including Students
with Special Education Needs in French as a Second Language
Programs: A Guide for Ontario Schools. Ministry of Education.
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/amenagement/includingfls2015.pdf

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2013a). A Framework for

French as a Second Language in Ontario Schools Kindergarten
to Grade 12. Ministry of Education.
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/amenagement/frameworkfls.pdf

Alberta Education. (2009). What school administrators need to

know about the inclusion of students with diverse needs in
French immersion schools. Alberta Education.
https://cpf.ca/en/files/inclusionofstudentswithdiverseneeds.p
df

Canadian Parents for French. (2012). The State of French-Second-Language Education: Factsheet for
Educators (FSL Teachers). Canadian Parents for French. https://cpf.ca/en/files/Educator-full.pdf

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2013b). The Ontario Curriculum, French as a Second Language: Core,
Grades 4–8; Extended, Grades 4–8; Immersion, Grades 1–8. Ontario Ministry of Education.
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/fsl18-2013curr.pdf

TED-ED. (2015, June 23). The benefits of a bilingual brain - Mia Nacamulli [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMmOLN5zBLY&ab_channel=TED-Ed

Participate Learning. (2020, August 13). The Benefits of a Bilingual Brain [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yOI6-rqT8k&ab_channel=ParticipateLearning

Curriculum Services Canada. (2015, July). Supporting Students in FSL: Viewer’s Guide. Transforming
FSL. https://transformingfsl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/FINAL_PROOF_CSC659_Viewers_Guide_01.pdf