Ottawa, December 1, 2008
Notes for an address at the Annual General Meeting of the
Society for Educational Visits and Exchanges in Canada (SEVEC)
Graham Fraser – Commissioner of Official Languages
Check against delivery
Ms. Rapp, M. Carrier, Mrs. Clement, Ladies and Gentlemen, students,
I thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today, especially since it allows me to speak not only to members of SEVEC, but also to teachers and students. In the video we have just seen, it’s clear that our youth, some of whom are present here today, are quite passionate about linguistic duality in our country. With the help of SEVEC, young people will continue to have opportunities to share their experiences and spread the word about the advantages of learning both of our official languages.
Next year, we will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Official Languages Act. Our next annual report will be looking at the past 40 years and all we’ve achieved, while also looking to what lies ahead for the future. Opportunities for young people are key to the future of linguistic duality in Canada. In our report, the work SEVEC does will shine through as an example of a positive measure that contributes to the health of that duality.
All of you here today are aware that the work SEVEC does goes above and beyond exchange programs. However, I encourage you to keep spreading the word, so that more youth can benefit from your services and from the support you offer. The forums you held this year, as well as your online initiatives, are perfect examples of all the other things you do. Not only have you shown innovation using new technologies to reach out to youth, but you’ve also brought together youth from different official language communities to learn about their counterparts across the country, who share a passion for learning both English and French.
Through the many different types of events and activities SEVEC offers, you have demonstrated the importance of building bridges between our language communities, and of giving youth the opportunity to be immersed in the culture and the language they are learning.
To better understand the needs of our students, as well as what is being offered at the post-secondary level, my office has been working on a study meant to foster a better understanding of second-language learning opportunities in Canadian universities. In the process, we have started to meet with various groups of students from universities across Canada. Last month, when representatives from my office met with a group of young people from the University of Ottawa, it became apparent that the majority had participated in some form of language exchange, and that this experience was critical in their decision to pursue their second-language education at the university level. Those who had traveled abroad discovered that, in many countries they visited, knowing two languages was a bare minimum.
I, myself, also had the opportunity to experience a kind of cultural immersion when I was a student at the University of Toronto. One summer, I worked on an archaeological dig on Île-aux-Noix, near Montréal, less out of interest in the subject than to learn French and to experience Quebec and its culture. I quickly realized that my basic French would not be enough. During this exchange, I made new Québécois friends and discovered a new province—and a new culture. At first, I was barely able to communicate with or understand those around me. As a result, I felt stupid and inarticulate, and I lacked a sense of humour in my second language. That’s what triggered my quest for excellence in bilingualism. Today, as Commissioner of Official Languages, I am the product of second-language learning, just like James Moore, the new minister of official languages, and countless others in high-profile positions throughout the country.
Of course, I also realize that learning a second—or third—language is not always easy. And I recognize the support that SEVEC offers teachers and students in helping them achieve their goals through language exchanges, trips and forums. In the report that was produced after your last youth forum, I noted the usual challenges facing youth: insufficient resources, insufficient opportunities to practice speaking, insufficient support from schools, communities and families. Participants also linked these elements to the fact that so many of their peers were leaving second-language programs, because the personal commitment needed was simply too much to handle.
This, to me, is a great shame. I know that there is a shortage of teachers available in Canada in respect to second-language learning. These are challenges that we continue to face and for which our many governments are trying to find solutions, through partnerships with educational associations in different communities.
In the meantime, we must continue to actively promote the many programs and resources that are available in the various communities where our children learn. Young participants in the forum also indicated that they believed some of their classmates still have to choose between learning French and learning other subjects that they think will give them a greater advantage academically. No one should have to choose. You should be able to do both. And I continue to encourage post-secondary institutions to recognize the efforts of students that come through the immersion and core language programs. Teachers—as well as parents—also have a duty to advise students in their decision-making process, and to clearly explain the advantages of continuing with their language studies.
As members of SEVEC, I encourage all of you to act as ambassadors and promote the many advantages of bilingualism. Having experienced Canada’s linguistic duality first-hand, you know that these advantages go far beyond making friends, finding a good job and travelling. As you know, bilingualism breaks down barriers, offers access to greater resources and post-secondary opportunities, and allows us to better communicate with each other and with others throughout the world. Given the knowledge-based economy we presently find ourselves in, this will continue to be a major advantage within the global job market.
Finally, what stood out for me the most in your report was the link that youth had made between bilingualism and their sense of pride in being Canadian. This pride, I’ve noticed, is also ever-present in a group that is growing steadily here in Canada: new immigrants. Within immigrant and ethnic communities, many people strongly believe in their children learning both official languages, and they recognize bilingualism as a cornerstone of Canadian values. Often times, this means that students from these communities are learning a third and sometimes fourth language. According to Statistics Canada, members of visible minorities have even surpassed English-speaking Canadians in terms of bilingualism.
Learning both official languages can also build a bridge to other languages. A few years ago, I was covering a Canadian trade mission to China. For the occasion, the Canadian embassy asked Canadians living in China to act as guides and interpreters for politicians, business people and journalists. I was struck by the fact that those Mandarin- and Cantonese-speaking Canadians were also perfectly at ease in both English and French. For them, being bilingual was about building bridges to the rest of the country, and opening a door to the world.
I congratulate all of you here today for contributing to this ideal. Through SEVEC, our youth are acquiring new skills and gaining a better understanding of, and a greater respect for, our country’s linguistic duality.
In closing, I want to take a moment to congratulate this year’s Roch Carrier Short Story award winners, Amber and Catherine. I read your stories with great interest, and I am quite impressed by the level of creativity and language skills you have demonstrated. I’ll be keeping an eye out for your next titles at my neighbourhood bookstore!
Thank you.
