1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The purpose of this study [is] to explore MB [migrant-background] students’ French language learning experiences at a French primary school in Québec to understand their language practices as well as their linguistic needs and challenges in the context of a mainstream classroom.» (p. 479)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
Au total, quatre enseignantes d’une école primaire de la région métropolitaine de Montréal ont participé à cette étude. En plus des entrevues faites auprès des enseignantes, les auteures ont fait de l’observation en classe.

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien semi-directif

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

In light of the results, the authors address various themes such as the socialization of migrant-background students, the perspective of teachers, as well as the various resources available to them. Concerning the family aspect, the results show that the teachers «emphasized the necessity for a strong school-home relationship, but the responsibility for building that relationship fell on the parents’, not the teachers’, shoulders. Furthermore, teachers blamed parents’ lack of French proficiency for their children’s academic difficulties. [A participant] reported being conscious of the challenges that newcomer parents faced when they immigrated and how they needed to adapt to many new things at once, but parents’ involvement in their children’s academic development was nonetheless a pivotal factor influencing students’ ability to succeed in the French educational context. Accordingly, teachers believed that the use of French among MB students should be extended to their homes[.]» (p. 485) Another participant said that «immigrating parents should learn French alongside their children to help them succeed at school, and she reported being frustrated at having to communicate with parents who did not speak French well.» (p. 485) Also, «[r]esearch shows that creating an environment that is more, not less, inclusive of home languages and cultures can increase parental involvement at school.» (p. 485)