Bilingual Program

All elementary schools across the English Montreal School Board offer various levels of French language instruction integrated within the Québec Education Program. Students attending Bancroft Elementary follow a bilingual curriculum model.

Speaking two languages each day encourages the growth and understanding of a second language during the most important learning years of life. Starting in Pre-Kindergarten, students spend 50% of classroom time speaking and learning in French and 50% of classroom time speaking and learning in English.

Reasearch shows that bilingualism has many cognitive benefits that go beyond those of language acquisition such as heightened mental flexibility, creative thinking skills, enhanced metalinguistic awareness as well as greater communicative sensitivity.

Level Subjects Taught in English Subjects Taught in French¹
Pre-K & Kdg 50% of classroom time 50% of classroom time
Cycle 1 English Language Arts
Physical Education & Health
Ethics and Religious Culture
Français, immersion bilingue
Mathématique
Musique
Arts plastiques
Cycle 2 English Language Arts
Physical Education & Health
Mathematics
Music²
Visual Art²
Français, immersion bilingue
Science et technologie
Géographie, histoire et éducation à la citoyenneté
Musique²
Arts plastiques²
Éthique et culture religieuse
Cycle 3 English Language Arts
Physical Education & Health
Mathematics
Music²
Visual Art²
Français immersion bilingue
Science et technologie
Géographie, histoire et éducation à la citoyenneté
Musique²
Arts plastiques²
Éthique et culture religieuse
¹ This does not include French spoken during recess, daycare and other extra-curricular activities.
² Music and Visual Art are taught in a bilingual classroom.