Re: French Immersion...again!!
 

Surely you jest. :p

In case the above remark was too obtuse, the answer is, "No."

There is a Wiki on Quebec Schooling.

Re: French Immersion...again!!
 

Actually we are coming to Calgary and I do now about the Spanish bilingual schools but I still think it would be better for them to be in FI. After all French is the other official language in Canada and they can always improve and learn more Spanish from me. Also we tend to spend most summers in Spain because I still got my family there, so if they really want to keep it up they have a good chance there.

Re: French Immersion...again!!
 

I know, but you could consider SB until grade 6 and start late french immersion for grade 7. That way:
He wouldn't feel behind and bewildered when he starts school here (it is a bigger step for the kids than us adults think, my 5 yr old has seriously missed his friends and really notices cultural differences) and Late FI is meant to be just as successful. And if the schoool won't let you , do you have a FI choice?

Or just go for standard school and then FI late. I think there are significant benefits in terms of meeting people for all your family by going to a school where the majority of kids do not bus in. It really helps the children if they can play after school in the playground and it helps the mums too.

Also the capacity to learn in another langauge is increased by learning any language, so the formal spanish instruction would help the french later.

Gryphea

Re: French Immersion...again!!
 

Our two kids (Grade 2 and 6) started in FI in SK here in Ottawa and they are doing fine. With my french by about 1 - 1.5 years of FI, they were ahead of my wife and I. In 2006, we went to the UK and Paris and their french helped a great deal there. We've been to Montreal a number of times and the kids are not afraid to speak french there.

You'd be amazed what sponges children are at that age in learning new words/phrases in either english or french.

There does seem to be a general misunderstanding that FI is only applicable for kids who have a parent who can parlez vous. That is not the case.

Re: French Immersion...again!!
 

Gryphea

Thanks for the good advice.

you are right, they could do late FI. SB would be good as well, but the thing is we are not planning on living in the city. At the moment we are looking at Okotoks and there are no schools there offering SB. I don't know if we would be allowed to visit a SB school in Calgary when we will be living in Okotoks and if we are, we'll have to travel there every day. Not very good.

But I still think we could put him in late FI. My husband would be very happy because he wants the children to go to a Catholic school (it's been an ongoing battle, me fighting for early FI and him for a Catholic education) and there is one in Okotoks offering late FI.

It is true that once you have learned one foreign language the next one comes easy for you, so I suppose I will have to perservere with my Spanish.

I have met loads of mums and made good friends here in England by just bringing and picking up the kids from school. I do not wish to bus the children in to and from school, so I will try my hardest to avoid that.