At Sir Frederick Banting Secondary School, there are over 500 students enrolled in our French Immersion program. The primary objective of our four-year French Immersion program is to assist students in developing greater fluency, proficiency, and accuracy in the French language. Our immersion program offers a diverse range of subjects across all grade levels and pathways. We encourage our FI students to enrol in as many courses as possible to maximize their exposure to the French language.
Banting FI students have the opportunity to earn an Ontario French Immersion Certificate upon graduation. They also have the chance to achieve an advanced level of proficiency by taking the DELF (Diplôme d'Études en Langue Française) examination. We strongly recommend that students enrol in as many senior FI classes as possible to gain the breadth and depth of knowledge needed to successfully complete the DELF. Our French language program aligns with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL), which defines internationally recognized levels of language proficiency. Our teachers are dedicated to ensuring that our immersion students can attain a DELF B1 (Threshold) to DELF B2 (Autonomous) level of language competency by the end of the program. We also diligently prepare our students for the DELF French proficiency exams administered through France Education International, representing the Ministry of National Education of France. These exams are offered annually to our Grade 12 immersion students through TVDSB. Since 2017, over 300 FI students have passed their DELF examinations with a 98% success rate. Additionally, we offer the Advanced Placement French Language and Culture Exam (AP) to our Grade 12 students, providing them with the opportunity to earn a university-level credit in French.
In addition to academic pursuits, FI students take advantage of numerous authentic cultural learning experiences in French, available through International Student Exchanges (ISE), Quebec Summer Work programs, Explore Summer School Program, the French Club, and, of course, our trips to France and St. Donat, Quebec!
TVDSB has provided a comprehensive presentation for parents.