Graduate student in education receives $ 10,000 scholarship in bilingual French – URI News

KINGSTON, RI – August 26, 2021 – James Cahan, from Warren, a graduate student of the TESOL / Bilingual and Bilingual Immersion Program at the University of Rhode Island School of Education, received a $ 10,000 scholarship from the French Dual Language Fund -American Cultural Exchange Foundation.

Cahan is a teacher at a French immersion college in Holliston, Massachusetts.

The Future Immersion Teacher scholarship encourages new teachers to enter the field of immersion teaching and helps current French teachers achieve bilingual certifications. Fellows receive up to $ 10,000 to pursue graduate studies and certification programs to prepare them for roles as French immersion teachers.

“As our society becomes more culturally and linguistically diverse, multilingualism will become a more valuable skill. Immersion education not only strengthens language skills, but also promotes intercultural awareness and understanding, ”said Cahan. “I hope that immersion education will become an option accessible to future generations of students.

The Embassy of France launched the French Dual Language Fund in partnership with the French-American Cultural Exchange Foundation to serve as a funder to support educators within the growing network of public bilingual French and immersion programs in the United States. United.

French President Emmanuel Macron officially inaugurated the Fund in New York in 2017. URI has been a partner of the French Embassy and the foundation since 2018.

According to the foundation’s website, bilingual and immersion programs in U.S. public schools are growing rapidly, but are struggling to recruit and retain teachers.

Through a partnership with a select network of American universities, the FIT Fellowship grants help future French immersion teachers to obtain graduate degrees and specialized certifications in bilingual education and immersion.

Cahan is the third URI student to receive the scholarship. Karla Gonzalez-Lynch, an undergraduate graduate student in Primary Education, TESOL and French-Bilingual and Bilingual Certifications, was the 2020 recipient of a $ 5,000 scholarship. In 2018, Alexandra Fish received a $ 10,000 scholarship and now teaches French in a bilingual school in Maine.

“There is a growing demand for certified bilingual French teachers for growing French immersion programs. With his enthusiasm, dedication and hard work, James will be a great asset to the program, ”said Rabia Hos, URI Associate Professor of TESOL / Bilingual-Dual Language Education.