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The Integration of Immigrant Students in French-Language Schools in New Brunswick

As immigrant students in New Brunswick’s French-language schools struggle to integrate into their new society, so too do the future teachers charged with creating an integrative, welcoming learning environment.  This study by Aïcha Benimmas and Lamine Kamano examines the perceptions that future teachers in a minority Fracophone community have of the immigrant student and identifies the strategies envisioned for teaching in a context of cultural diversity.  They find that the view of immigrant students among Francophone future teachers in minority communities is largely focused on difference, displacement, and the lack of command of the French language. However, such a perception ignores the emotional aspects of the students’ experience, as well as the process of integration and acculturation, and international Francophonie.  The authors suggest that future teachers need to be better prepared to face the cultural diversity of today’s classroom and to contribute to the successful integration and retention of Francophone immigrants.

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