The Core French program is mandatory in all English-language schools beginning in Grade 4. Students receive 120 hours of French per year in Grades 4-8, from a teacher with French as a Second Language qualifications.
In the Core French program, students should advance through an organized sequence of learning experiences that permits a steady accumulation of knowledge and skills. Therefore, once students embark on an instructional sequence in Core French, they must be given the opportunity to continue in an uninterrupted program to Grade 8. The elementary school curriculum for Core French is designed to prepare students for success in the corresponding program at the secondary level. The expectations that form the basis of the secondary school curriculum build on the knowledge and skills that students acquire in their elementary program. (Revised FSL Curriculum, 2013)
Like all French as a Second Language programs, the Core French program works towards the goals from A Framework for French as a Second Language in Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12 (Ministry of Education) to: