| Actionable Factors Affecting French Language and Culture in Saskatchewan | Implication | Suggested Courses of Action |
| Education System Factors |
| Low supply and quality of French teachers | - Lack of quality teachers resulting in lower perceived value of French courses in students and parents.
| - Make efforts to promote Saskatchewan as a province of choice for French teachers.
- Make efforts to increase training opportunities for French teachers in Saskatchewan.
- Make efforts to encourage local community-based recruitment and training and retention for French teachers.
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| Low interest among school boards administrators/counsellors to promote French programs or courses | - School board administrators influence important resource allocation decisions to French courses and other subject areas.
- School counsellors are key decision influencers when students and their parents are considering French courses in the school.
| - Make efforts to support stakeholder agencies that can proactively engage school administrators in promoting French programs and courses.
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| Lack of resources available to French courses as compared to other subjects | - Lack of resources available to French courses implies French courses are not viewed as important when compared to other subjects.
| - Make efforts to support stakeholder organizations involved in increased funding for French courses right down to the school level.
- Provide a wider range of teaching resources in French.
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| Too few entry points in French immersion | - Limited choice for students to enrol in French Immersion courses affect the enrolment numbers. Entry points are also available only at lower grade levels thereby limiting access to French Immersion at later grades.
| - Make efforts to encourage flexible curriculum choices with more entry points when it comes to French Immersion courses.
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| French school system not well known and sometimes not considered as a possible option by parents | - Limited choice for students as a direct consequence of the lack of visibility and understanding of the school system.
- The lack of understanding among Anglophone parents could be extrapolated to the target population of the French school system thereby affecting the enrolment numbers.
| Make efforts to improve promotion and explain the nature of the French school system among the non-Francophone population. |
| Government/ Public Policy Factors |
| Lack of active support from the senior levels of provincial government toward the promotion of French language and culture | - Lack of visible support from provincial government can negatively impact public opinion toward French language and culture as public may not view it as a priority issue.
| - Make efforts to encourage provincial policy initiatives to actively promote French language and culture in Saskatchewan.
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| Concerns that the French Education and Languages Branch is underfunded and under-staffed | - Lack of adequate funding for the provincial public sector bodies supporting French language and culture in Saskatchewan can understandably hamper the growth and promotion initiatives.
| - Make efforts to encourage adequate provincial funding for the French Education and Languages Branch and other umbrella public sector organizations supporting French language and culture in Saskatchewan.
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| Increased government efforts to promote other languages and cultures, especially Aboriginal | - There could be a competing effect on the public sector funding and resource allocation due to the competition from other languages and culture.
| - Make efforts to underline the compatibility of learning a second and third language.
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| Lack of public sector infrastructure to encourage the mainstream use of French language and culture in daily life | - Lack of a favourable environment to practice French language and celebrate French culture in everyday life can negatively affect the perceived value of French language and culture by the students and their parents.
- Visibility of the local expression of French language and culture is limited.
| - Make efforts to create local community-level environment(s) that allow French language to be used in day-to-day life and celebrate French culture through festivals and events.
- Increase access to these activities by the non-French-speaking population.
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| Public Attitudinal Factors |
| Separatist movement in Quebec | - Negative sentiment toward French language and culture.
| - Encourage launch of messages and promotional campaigns that highlight positive aspects of French language and culture, and concentrate on the historic nation-building efforts of the French community.
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| Local Saskatchewan communities perceived as small, close-knit group | - Low awareness of French culture among Saskatchewan residents.
| - Encourage launch of messages and promotional campaigns that highlight positive aspects of French language and culture and concentrate on the romantic, fun-loving and open image of French.
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| Lack of consistent campaigning or education to promote French language, education and culture | - Lack of correct information can be negatively affecting sentiments toward French language and culture. Allows for news-driven impression of culture to prevail.
| - Encourage launch of messages and promotional campaigns that highlight positive aspects of French language and culture and concentrate on the romantic, fun-loving and open image of French.
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| Perceptual Factors (Barriers to French Immersion) |
| Fears that parents will be left out of their children’s education if they do not speak French | - Lack of correct information can negatively affect sentiments toward French language and culture.
| - Encourage launch of messages and promotional campaigns that highlight positive, social, intellectual and economic aspects of French language and culture.
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| Perception that children’s English-language skills will suffer | - Lack of correct information can negatively affect sentiments toward French language and culture.
| - Encourage launch of messages and promotional campaigns that highlight positive, social, intellectual and economic aspects of French language and culture.
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| Perception that French education is primarily intended for super bright children (elitist mentality) | - Lack of correct information can negatively affect sentiments toward French language and culture.
| - Encourage launch of messages and promotional campaigns that highlight positive, social, intellectual and economic aspects of French language and culture.
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| Perception that children’s social development will suffer, especially due to small class size of French courses | - Lack of correct information can negatively affect sentiments toward French language and culture.
| - Encourage launch of messages and promotional campaigns that highlight positive, social, intellectual and economic aspects of French language and culture.
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| Overall, French perceived as a less important subject | - Lack of correct information can negatively affect sentiments toward French language and culture.
| - Encourage launch of messages and promotional campaigns that highlight positive, social, intellectual and economic aspects of French language and culture.
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| Poor impression of Core French | - Core French being viewed as boring, resulting in lower interest in the language.
| - Encourage improvements in the curriculum and make Core French more interesting to the students.
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| French courses not perceived as important for university enrolment | - Lack of correct information can negatively affect sentiments toward French language and culture.
| - Encourage launch of messages and promotional campaigns that highlight positive, social, intellectual and economic aspects of French language and culture.
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| Income benefits of bilingualism less evident in the Prairies | - Lack of correct information can negatively affect sentiments toward French language and culture.
| - Encourage launch of messages and promotional campaigns that highlight positive, social, intellectual and economic aspects of French language and culture.
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