Ministry Policy Site

Language Education Policy

Issued March 5, 1997. In effect September 1, 1997.

Current policy
Note: A minor revision of Policy Circular 97-03.

The Language Education Policy is designed to be an integral part of the Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education Plan and to recognize the official languages of Canada and the growing number of other languages spoken by British Columbians. In accordance with Ministerial Order 295/95, the Required Areas of Study in an Educational Program Order, Boards of Education must offer a second language in Grades 5 to 8 to all students, except those students exempted in the Order.

The purpose of this policy is to describe the language education policy, especially the second language requirement for Grades 5 to 8.

See the School Act, section 5:

5 (1) Every student is entitled to receive an educational program that is provided in the English language.

(2) Students whose parents have the right under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to have their children receive instruction in a language other than English are entitled to receive that instruction.

(3) Subject to the approval of the minister, a board may permit an educational program to be provided in a language other than as provided under subsections (1) and (2).

(4) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations(a) respecting the provision of educational programs in languages other than English,

(b) to give effect to section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and

(c) determining the manner in which a power, duty or function of a board may be performed or exercised under this Act with respect to students referred to in subsection (2).

(5) For the purposes of subsection (4), the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make different regulations for different circumstances.

See also:

• Ministerial Order 295/95, the Required Areas of Study in an Educational Program Order.
• B.C. Reg. 212/99, the Francophone Education Authorities Regulation.

Definition - "Aboriginal Languages:" Those languages indigenous to the Aboriginal people of British Columbia.

Definition - "Core French:" A second-language program for Grades 5 to 12, designed to enable students to begin to understand and communicate in French, as well as to experience francophone cultures.

Definition - "English as a Second Language (ESL):" Instruction provided to assist students to become proficient in English and to prepare them to achieve the expected learning outcomes of the provincial curriculum.

Definition - "French Immersion:" A more ambitious second-language program than Core French, French Immersion is designed to produce functionally bilingual students by using French as the language of instruction. Upon graduation, students will have acquired sufficient language skills to be able to pursue post-secondary studies or work in either official language. The program generally begins in Kindergarten (Early Immersion) or Grade 6 (Late Immersion), starting with 100% French instruction during the beginning years, gradually diminishing to 2 courses in Grade 12.

Definition - "Language of Instruction:" The language in which the subject area is taught.

Definition - "Programme Francophone:" A program provided in recognition of the unique rights of francophone parents under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. French is the language of instruction for this program and English can be considered to meet the second language requirement in Grades 5 to 8 for students in the program.

Definition - "Second Language course:" A course in which the second language is studied as a subject rather than as a language of instruction. The study of second language courses is the focus of the Language Education Policy's requirement at the Grade 5 to 8 levels.

The Government of British Columbia expects all students to achieve proficiency in the English language.

Francophone children whose parents qualify for minority language rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms are eligible to receive French as the language of instruction.

All students, especially those of Aboriginal ancestry, should have opportunities to learn an Aboriginal language.

The Ministry of Education encourages opportunities for all students to learn languages that are significant within their communities.

English and French will be taught as first languages, all other languages will be taught as second languages.

All students must take a second language as part of the curriculum in Grades 5 to 8, except where students are:

• identified as having special needs or are receiving English as a Second Language (ESL) services; and,
• unable to demonstrate their learning in relation to the expected learning outcomes of the second language course; or,
• enrolled in late French Immersion in Grade 6.

School boards will choose which second languages will be offered. Core French will be the language offered if the Board of Education does not offer an alternative.

Only second language curricula, which have Education program guides listed in Ministerial Order 333/99, the Educational Program Guide Order, are eligible to meet the second language requirement for Grades 5 to 8.

School boards may develop their own second language curricula for elective or additional language studies as permitted under Ministerial Order 285/04, the Board Authorized Course Order.

School boards may apply to the Ministry of Education to have their locally developed second language curricula given provincial approval. (A locally developed second language curriculum that has received provincial approval is eligible to meet the second language requirement for Grades 5 to 8.)

English Language Education
School boards should provide programming that addresses the learning needs of individual ESL students, including learning opportunities that value ESL students' first language and diverse cultural backgrounds.

French Minority Language Education Rights
Français Langue 11 and 12 are graduation requirements for students in Programme francophone.

Aboriginal Languages
Aboriginal language courses (as with all second language courses) should be developed appropriate to second language learners. As of the 1997/98 school year, only aboriginal languages with provincial curriculum for Grades 5 to 8 will be eligible to meet the second language requirement (see below). The Board of Education and the local aboriginal people should collaborate to develop a language curriculum and resources.

Second Language Requirement Grade 5 to 8
School boards should attempt to coordinate the second languages offered to ensure there is continuity of instruction in the same language for a student in Grades 5 to 8. Curricula for second languages offered in Grades 5 to 8 must be provincially approved. School boards may choose to submit a locally developed language course to the Ministry of Education for approval as a provincial course.

If you have any questions relating to the Language Education Policy, please contact Content and Achievement Unit.