The French Academy of Minnesota - French School, Preschool and Elementary

FAQ

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A BILINGUAL EDUCATION?
Immersion provides children with an expanded vision of other cultures, insights into themselves, and new and different ways of thinking. Students will learn to speak the second language as naturally as their first language. Results from immersion programs reveal that their students score equal to or better than non-immersion students on reading and math tests. Canadian and U.S. research shows that most children in immersion programs learn not only the second language but also their own language with clarity, and that they excel on both foreign-language and native-language standardized tests. Students of foreign languages have access to a greater number of career possibilities and develop a deeper understanding of their own and other cultures.

WILL IT BE STRESSFUL FOR MY CHILDREN TO BE IN A FRENCH SCHOOL IF THEY DO NOT SPEAK ANY FRENCH?
The school provides a nurturing, friendly, and safe environment where children learn the language through play, songs, and class activities. All the teachers understand and speak English. The children feel comfortable because they know that whatever language they speak, their teacher will always be there to interpret their needs. Also, there are always children in each class already speaking French who spontaneously serve as translators and teachers!

HOW DOES FAM DIFFER FROM AN AMERICAN PRIVATE SCHOOL?
FAM is committed to following the French system, which is world renowned for its complete and rigorous curriculum. It teaches students how to become active and responsible learners. The preschool taught by credentialed teachers is the foundation of the educational system and prepares our students to achieve success in the primary grades.

HOW DOES FAM DIFFER FROM A PUBLIC IMMERSION SCHOOL?
Our school follows the French curriculum and is taught exclusively by native French teachers, which is not the case in other French immersion schools. It also follows the Minnesota standards to make future transition to another school easy. Our student/teacher ratio is low and perfectly balanced: teachers are able to give each child an individualized and personalized education, and students still have enough opportunity to socialize and interact together. There are also many opportunities for interactions between grades; older students are often involved in the lower grades for presentation, exposés, reading-aloud, etc. Because of this interaction, students feel like an important element in their community.

IS 3 YEARS OLD TOO SOON TO START SCHOOL?
It is important for a child to start building social skills and to know how to work in a group. What children learn at home is different from what they learn at school. Moreover, the younger that children begin to learn a language, the easier it is for them to absorb it. Qualified teachers guide children through their learning experiences, fostering positive attitudes to lifelong learning.

CHILDREN IN FAM LEARN TO READ IN FRENCH.
HOW WILL THEY LEARN TO READ IN ENGLISH?
Reading is a process in which children learn the connections between letters, sounds, words, and sentences. As soon as children understand the process, they are ready to read. Living in an English-speaking country, children will learn to read in English with little effort.

DOES THE FOCUS ON LANGUAGE ACQUISITION PREVENT CHILDREN FROM ACHIEVING ACADEMIC SUCCESS?
On the contrary, studies show that learning more than one language greatly enhances a student’s overall capabilities. Our teachers are aware that it takes longer for a child to speak than to comprehend a new language, and they design activities that are challenging but easily understandable.

WILL MY CHILD BE ABLE TO TRANSITION INTO THE AMERICAN SCHOOL SYSTEM EASILY?
Yes. One of the reasons Americans find FAM so attractive is that the high quality of education follows the highest standards for public education as well as the independent school system.

WE ARE COMING FROM FRANCE AND OUR CHILDREN DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH. HOW WILL THEY ADAPT?
Children will find a nurturing and caring classroom environment, in which language plays a secondary role. They will easily adapt to a classroom environment very much like they experienced in France. It’s very reassuring for students relocated from abroad to find here a familiar environment much like the one they left in France, and it’s usually much easier to accept the distance from friends and family back home. The school also provides English classes (English Language Arts and Social Studies) to help children integrate into their new surroundings.

HOW CAN PARENTS BE INVOLVED IN THE SCHOOL AND THEIR CHILD’S EDUCATION AT FAM?
There are many volunteer opportunities throughout the year. We have various committees of parents organizing special fundraising events like our annual Book Fair, a uniform sale, our annual gala event, etc. We also have parents chaperoning field trips and helping with the organization of special events like our “Fête de l’Hiver”, family picnics, fashion show, etc. We also love to have parents sharing their special talents in the classroom.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS AS PARENTS OF HAVING A CHILD LEARN FRENCH?
No doubt you will take advantage of this cultural journey yourself! Contrary to a lot of other schools, parents are welcome in our building. They can meet teachers before drop-off or after pick-up as necessary. Classes are taught in French and teachers are native French speakers, but they do also speak English. Communication and interaction with them can be in either language. It is also very easy to get to know other parents at FAM. Either chatting in the hallway at drop-off or pick-up, or attending one of the many social events FAM organizes on a regular basis (morning coffee, Aujourd’hui c’est Jeudi @Sofitel, etc.) you will have the opportunity to practice your French and to learn about the cultural background of all the different families at FAM throughout the year.

WHAT IS THE SCHOOL POPULATION OF FAM ?
Our school is composed of about 62% English-speaking students, 11% French students living here for a few years after being relocated from France or Europe, and 17% bi-cultural or bi-lingual students. These figures vary slightly from one year to the next.

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