The French Bilingual Association (FBA) of Seattle's Eastside partners with the Bellevue School District and Tillicum Middle School to offer bilingual education suited for middle school children with native or near-native abilities in French.

French Bilingual Association "Le Matin" language classes are privately run to follow the French Ministry of Education curriculum for middle school students during their first period. This class,which is open to any student with sufficient proficiency, is recognized by Tillicum Middle School as an elective class and students will receive high school credit, if desired. The rest of the day students follow the Bellevue School District curriculum at Tillicum. This unique, integrated offering provides students with the diversity and excellence of the Bellevue School District public education while maintaining their bilingualism, giving them the opportunity to prepare a Bilingual International Baccalaureate in High School, at a fraction of the cost of a private school.

For families looking for excellence in French, French Bilingual Association also offers middle school students after-school language tutoring using the program developed by the CNED, or National Center for Distance Education, which is the French Ministry of Education distance learning organization. The CNED provides high quality self study books that follow the same official curriculum. In addition, The CNED is responsible for the grading the students' work by French teachers according to the French standards. This after-school option offers a supportive structure with specific time locked in the child agenda twice a week when most of the work and all tests are done under teacher supervision. The low student-teacher ratios allow for work tailored to student's needs.

All French Bilingual Association language classes are taught by native French speaking teachers. Students enrolled in an other middle school are welcome to attend.

 

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Program for support of French as a native language (FLAM). French bilingual education is developing rapidly throughout the world. About 2 million students are studying in French bilingual programs in 53 countries across all five continents. The development of these French bilingual educational opportunities is a priority for France and for many educational partners who structure and guide this type of education. Starting 2008, FLAM has offered grants to the French Bilingual Association. For more information, visit www.programme-flam.fr or www.diplomatie.gouv.fr

The Consul General from France in San Francisco fully supports our programs. For more information, visit www.consulfrance-sanfrancisco.org

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French Bilingual Association is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization.