Richmond, October 19, 2007
Notes for an address at the joint conference of the
Canadian Association of Immersion Teachers and
the Association provinciale des professeurs d’immersion et
du Programme francophone of British Columbia
Graham Fraser – Commissioner of Official Languages
Check against delivery
Good evening ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to start by thanking you for inviting me to your annual conference. I try to take advantage of any opportunity, whenever possible, to meet with professionals who teach our two official languages.
When I came to the annual conference of the Association provinciale des professeurs d'immersion et du Programme francophone last year—one year tomorrow actually, and also here in Richmond—I had just taken over from Dyane Adam as Commissioner of Official Languages. Perhaps you invited me back to see if I had learnt anything during the last twelve months!
It has been a terrific year, full of challenges and yes, learning opportunities. And being Commissioner of Official Languages comes with some perks.
I quickly discovered that one of the perks of my job is having access to an impressive number of experts, and their experience and knowledge. Of course, there are many experts among OCOL staff as well, but my job gives me an opportunity to meet with many other professionals and researchers working in various subject areas related to official languages.
The other side of the coin is that people sometimes take me for an expert. Yet I will be participating instead as an interested observer in the 12th world congress of the Fédération internationale des professeurs de français, which will be held in Québec City in July 2008. I hope to see many of you there. This will be a good chance to participate in the city's 400th anniversary celebrations, which are a major milestone for the Francophonie and Canadian history.
My work also gives me a forum to dispel certain misconceptions.
As a result, I have a little trouble accepting the arguments of people who say that a program as popular as immersion is elitist or that learning a second or third language is not for everyone. In Canada, there are nearly five million young people learning their second official language. Of this number, 300,000 are in French immersion. So, this is not just a trend or a hobby for the privileged few. This is a societal phenomenon that enriches and strengthens our country.
This phenomenon is not surprising. It is becoming increasingly clear that, in a variety of areas, being a national leader requires knowledge of both English and French. Whether in sports, politics, journalism or law, you need to understand and be understood by all Canadians.
Clearly, learning a new language requires commitment and effort. We also need good teachers.
I was struck by the approach taken by the Edmonton Public School Board. After witnessing a decline in immersion enrolment, the School Board did an analysis of what was necessary to provide quality second-language education. They ended up with 14 criteria:
- Positive district support
- Positive principal support
- Competent, enthusiastic teachers
- Positive community support
- Integral part of regular program
- Sufficient instructional time
- Clear and relevant curricular expectations
- Students engage in interactive learning
- Quality learning resources
- Well-articulated programs
- Professional development
- Promotion and marketing
- Student access, support and recognition
- Financial support
They then took measures to ensure those criteria were met. The effect on teachers—and the quality of the teaching—was almost immediate.
When I visited Edmonton, I was shown a video of a conversation between a teacher and a Grade 10 student who had started late immersion four months earlier. The quality of his French would put many federal public servants to shame!
I have seen that what hinders the growth of language programs is not a lack of students or a lack of interest from parents; it is a lack of adequate teaching resources. In many parts of the country, the demand is much higher than the number of spots available.
What can be done about this? The CAIT is already fulfilling its role, through its public promotion initiatives and its interventions with governments. As a member of the Réseau d’enseignement français langue seconde and through its teacher training sessions, the Association is also helping to strengthen ties been the immersion movement and other aspects of French-language teaching. This is a partnership that I think is very, very important. I am convinced that all Canadians should have access to different, high-quality options for learning Canada’s official languages.
Pursuant to the Official Languages Act, my role consists of promoting linguistic duality. In my first annual report to Parliament, tabled in May, I urged the federal government to follow up on the Action Plan for Official Languages, which provides the provinces with additional funding for second-language teaching.
Regardless of the type of follow-up provided, we cannot lose the gains we have made over the last few years. We need to create more opportunities for exchange for both teachers and students.
I am also working with Canadian universities. In the past few decades, I have noticed, not without some concern, that universities now see French as a foreign language. However, knowing French is a major asset for future leaders and a necessity for anyone aspiring to join the senior ranks of the largest employer in the country: the federal government.
Universities must value fluency in both official languages, if only to encourage secondary school students to continue language learning. As universities are institutions that are slow to change, I hope that my seven-year term will give me enough time to persuade them to make major changes to their vision.
I hope that I can count on your support for this project, just like you can count on me for mine. By working together with the different French as a second language education groups, governments and official language communities, we will be able to provide more children with higher quality education. By doing so, we are working to build bridges between Canadians of all backgrounds.
Thank you.
