The Canadian International School of Phnom Penh (CIS) launched their successful French Immersion program in August 2015.

This program is designed for students from Grade 1 and up who demonstrate an interest and aptitude in learning French. For 40% of the day, French Immersion students study in French, while the rest of the day is taught through English. The entire curriculum taught at CIS, whether in French or English, is from Canada and is recognized as one of the top curriculums in the world. Graduates from CIS can attend universities all over the world.

Along with their French Immersion Program, French Language courses are offered to all students who wish to learn French from the age of three and up. The program allows everyone to progress at their own pace and helps students recognize their own strengths, as well as areas that might need improvement. Cooperation, autonomy, and individual progression of learning are all objectives of the French program.

If students wish to enroll in this program, a CIS French instructor conducts a quick assessment of the child’s French level and determines whether the program would be suitable for them.

“Students in the French Immersion program have the advantage of following the Canadian curriculum while improving their language skills in French. This represents 120 minutes per day of instruction; which is why our students improve their language skills very quickly,” commented Raphael Pech, a French Immersion instructor at CIS.

CIS keeps their French Immersion classes small and intimate, allowing teachers to focus on French as a metacognitive tool, not only as a communicative and linguistic tool. The school encourages learning through discovery and projects while using state-of-the-art teaching tools such as inverted classrooms, laptops, tablets and interactive whiteboards.

Offering specific French Language courses from three years old prepares students effectively for the French Immersion program once they get to Grade 1.

This year, students will have the opportunity to challenge the DELF (Diplôme d’Etudes en Langue Française) to have their language level officially certified in French.

The dynamic team behind this is made up of three French teachers from Canada and France with a Cambodian teaching assistant who is fluent in French and studied at the French Institute in Phnom Penh. The French team is committed to educating students and their families about the richness and diversity of French culture.

CIS is proud to note that, since introducing the program, they’ve seen a rise in the number of students from non-French speaking families embrace the French language and culture, learning to speak the language fluently in a few short years. Pech comments, “We are very proud of two students who are continuing their schooling in Quebec, Canada and have chosen to continue the immersion program in French; a perfect example of the transition and integration of Francophone culture”.

Young minds have the innate ability to integrate languages simultaneously and rapidly. In order to consistently challenge young minds, the school library has an impressive selection of French books. In addition to all of the internal activities, CIS students are regularly interacting with their partner school, École Française Internationale (EFI).

The school incorporates a strong French culture in the school that is reminiscent of what is routinely done in Canada. Every year they celebrate the Francophone culture through various events bringing together the entire school community. The annual assembly in French prepared by students offers an opportunity for them to share their interest in this program with the entire CIS community.

CIS invites you to contact them regarding their French Immersion and French language programs with any questions you may have.

About CIS

Centrally located in Phnom Penh, the Canadian International School (CIS) is a fully accredited Canadian school offering classes for students from 3 years old until Grade 8. They will continue to add classes every year until they have their first graduating highschool class. With their highschool diploma, students who graduate from Canadian accredited schools are accepted into universities worldwide!