Multilingual Learners in Canadian French Immersion Programs: Looking Back and Moving Forward.

This article focuses on the evolving inclusion and education of multilingual learners in French immersion (FI) programs in Canada, which have historically served predominantly Canadian-born, English-speaking families seeking bilingualism in French and English. It synthesizes post-2000 research across four key areas: language education policy, educator perspectives, learner and family motivation, and academic achievement, highlighting that despite high motivation and strong outcomes among multilingual learners, systemic barriers and exclusion persist due to inadequate policies and prevailing myths about English proficiency requirements. The article further identifies two critical directions for future research: examining the experiences of specific populations such as refugee-background and racialized learners, and exploring plurilingual pedagogical approaches that recognize and leverage students’ diverse linguistic repertoires beyond English and French. It calls for more inclusive policies and equitable teaching practices in FI programs to better support Canada’s increasingly diverse multilingual student population.