Following the recent decision by New York City’s Department of Education to drop a French dual-language program in Manhattan, as reported by various media (Batch, NY Post, TapInto), I wanted to express my full support to the parent-led effort that has involved hundreds of diverse families and dozens of nationalities united to create a new French dual-language program in Manhattan.
Continue readingDistance learning is difficult, but there’s an extra layer of complexity when our students are non-native speakers in a dual immersion program. In this panel, we learned from parents who have navigated distance learning while supporting their students in their learning. We also heard from school principals and teachers who have supported families in remote and hybrid learning during the pandemic.
On October 2, I was thrilled to join Council Member Ben Kallos, French Consul Jérémie Robert, Community Education Council President Maud Maron, parents, teachers, and school administrators for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate two new French dual language classes that have opened at the District 2 Pre-K Center located at 355 East 76th Street in Manhattan. The joyous occasion for the families who attended the ribbon cutting and for all supporters comes after a very dedicated group of parents, including members of the Francophone community from Canada, Africa, and France, met with more than two hundred families who pledged to send their children to a French dual language program in Manhattan if one was created. I particularly congratulate the incredible efforts put forth by parents such as Stéphane Lautner, Catherine Rémy, and Nadia Levy who have kept the torch of the Bilingual Revolution burning in Manhattan even during these tough times. The French dual language classes began on September 21st with seats for 36 pre-K students. The Department of Education will operate these classes using a side-by-side instructional model where it will have one Early Childhood-certified teacher who is fluent in French and who has or will work towards a bilingual extension, alongside a second Early Childhood-certified teacher.
Here are quotes from some of the participants as well as a news report and additional photos and links.
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I have known Blake Ramsey for almost 10 years when he started teaching in French bilingual programs in New York City. I have watched him grow as an educator, impressed by his consistency and professionalism, as well as his dedication to French dual-language education. He has now embarked in a new mission, carrying the torch of French dual-language education even further, and joining the team at Fort Greene Preparatory Academy in Brooklyn for what promises to be one of the best French dual-language middle school programs in an American public school. Below are his answers to my questions. Read my interview on NewYorkinFrench.
St. John’s University hosted my talk on the Bilingual Revolution and the future of education and I enjoyed every minute of it! I was asked to present in French so that everyone in the audience, which included students and faculty from all over the world, could put themselves through an immersive experience in a language that was not theirs. Professor Puig was there to provide some translation when I felt the students needed some help. This bilingual talk idea worked out well. The students seemed to play along and accepted the challenge. They experienced bilingual education firsthand. The next day, I heard from one student from Colombia who said she was able to understand everything. This is what she writes: “I took two courses [of French] in college but until last night I had not been able to prove to myself whether or not I could actually understand the language in a real life setting – and I could….” Kudos to Dean Katia Passerini and Basilio G. Monteiro for coming up with this idea and for inviting me. You might have started a new kind of experience!
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Parents in Manhattan won an important victory and were able to convince schools authorities about creating a French dual-language program in a public school in the Upper East Side. Their journey, which started two years ago, has culminated in a series of recent meetings with elected officials, school leaders, and community leaders. Hailing from a number of countries, some parents want access to English or French and the equal opportunity they provide. Others want to sustain their heritage, and utilize bilingual education as a tool to do so. Others are interested in the benefits of bilingualism for cognitive development. Others are interested in the acquisition of a second, third, or fourth language because of the professional opportunities and advantages it will yield. Ultimately, these perspectives share the same goal: to create a multilingual society with greater access to languages and cultures.
Continue readingThe latest U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey reports that 1,203,941 people in the U.S. speak French at home.This includes speakers of French Patois and Cajun. These individuals are over 5 years old (count another 4.6% if you want to include children under 5, or 55,380 children). Despite a drop since my last count, French is still the fifth most common non-English language spoken in U.S. households, after Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.
Full house in support of more French dual-language programs in New York organized by Stephane Lautner, a French-American parent who has worked tirelessly to create a new program in Manhattan. Salle pleine pour les programmes bilingues de New York avec une réunion organisée par Stéphane Lautner, un parent franco-américain qui travaille sans relâche pour créer un programme à Manhattan.
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Dans l’épisode 5 du podcast “Révolution Bilingue”, je m’intéresse à la langue française en Louisiane.
Si le français revit ces dernières années en Louisiane, on le doit notamment à Joseph Dunn, qui se bat depuis des années, avec d’autres, pour le bilinguisme et la défense du français. Lorsque la Louisiane est entrée dans l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie l’an dernier, “mon rêve est devenu réalité” dit-il.
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173 schools, 94 cities, 34 states! These are the recent data on French dual-language immersion programs in the U.S.
Fabrice Jaumont 