Values and choices of exogamous couples

Research shows that in a minority francophone
setting, children from mixed couples who have spoken
French with their francophone parent and attended
francophone school have become not only highly
proficient in French, but also highly proficient in English,
at levels comparable to those of children who attend
English schools and have anglophone parents’.

Conclusion

Choosing to have your children acquire
balanced additive bilingualism depends
first and foremost on your values as
a couple with respect to
francophone and anglophone
language and culture. The more -
your couple is united in wishing to L
pass on both languages and

cultures, the more you can agree on the need to be well-
informed and decide together on the actions you would like
to take to ensure your children achieve this type of
bilingualism. You will have understood the role each of you
can play, as well as the roles of your families, the francophone

AS

Source :

Réal Allard, Carole Essiembre and Sylvie Arseneau, “The values and choices of exogamous couples”,

school, and the social and institutional milieu in reaching this
objective.

Remember that in a minority francophone setting, exogamous
couples that have succeeded in passing along both languages
and cultures have emphasized the minority language and
culture—that is, French. The francophone parent has spoken
French with the children and the couple has chosen
francophone schooling.

The goal of helping your children develop balanced additive
bilingualism is a challenge that requires perseverance and a
large capacity for dialogue on the part of each of you as well
as your children. But it is also highly rewarding. From the
testimonials we have heard, it’s clear that parents are
especially pleased to have passed along their linguistic and
cultural heritage. At the same time, the children who have
received this dual heritage are very grateful to their parents.

To order the Magazine for exogamous families
ConnExXions, contact FPFCB
604.736.5056 | 1.800.905.5056 | info@fpfcb.bc.ca

www.fpfcb.bc.ca

Maga-

zine Connexions 2004, Fédération des parents francophones de |’Alberta (www.fpfa.ab.ca), pp. 16-21.

1 Landry, Rodrigue, et Allard, Réal (1997). « Lexogamie et le maintien de deux langues et de deux cultures : le réle de
la francité familioscolaire ». Revue des sciences de l’éducation, 23, 561-592.

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