Official Languages and Immigration – Appendix I
Page 24 of 26
Appendix I: Phases and Dimensions of Immigration
| |||||||
| Phases
| Majority & Minority Language Skills | Qualification Recognition | Canadian Work Experience | Inclusion within Community (non-employment needs) | |||
| Selection (guidance) | OLMC conveys information about local language setting to Canadian missions abroad. Canadian missions abroad inform immigrants of language requirements and propose language classes. | OLMC members belonging to professional associations determine OLMC professional needs (e.g. need for Francophone nurses) and work towards filling such jobs with foreign-trained professionals. Recruitment proposals are made through initiatives such as the Provincial Nominee Programs. | OLMC motivates its business members to commit to providing basic level employment opportunities to newcomers MOL businesses prepare to hire immigrants so they can obtain experience and references in Canadian labour market. | OLMC prepares documentation on community services. OLMC interacts with immigrants by phone and e-mail before arrival. | |||
| Settlement (dependence) | After arrival, OLMC offers or directs immigrants to appropriate language instruction. | OLMC employment counsellors follow up with immigrant and majority institutions to ensure steps towards qualification recognition are taken effectively. | OLMC employment counsellors inform OLMC business members of newcomers looking for basic level employment. OLMC businesses hire immigrants into first Canadian jobs. | OLMC institutions generally act as family doctor, providing direct assistance within OLMC institutions (e.g. education, health care) when possible, otherwise cooperating with and referring to majority institutions. | |||
| Adaptation (increasing self-reliance) | Having been informed about available language resources, immigrant either continues with classes or improves his or her language skills outside the classroom to become functionally bilingual. OLMC and/or majority institution provide such classes. Immigrant becomes functionally bilingual while continuing to practice minority language through OLMC activities. | OLMC counsellors and immigrant review professional employment options. Options and obstacles are clearly identified to avoid frustration through false hopes. Immigrant pursues qualification recognition, retraining or accepts employment at lower professional level or in a different field. At this point, OLMC has reasonable expectation of gaining a well-integrated new member. | Immigrant is working in an OLMC business, possibly on a temporary, internship basis. | Immigrant is becoming more self-reliant and begins to determine community affiliation on hihe or sher own. Immigrant knows what support is available from OLMC and majority institutions and is able to call on these as needed. | |||
| Contribution (independence, voluntary association | Immigrant has become functionally bilingual. He or she copes with the need to know majority language but also sees the benefit of MOL. Is not afraid that minority language schooling will cause children to experience difficulties with majority language but understands the opportunity for children to become fully bilingual. | Immigrant is attaining previously identified professional goals (not necessarily those initially hoped for but those set realistically throughout the course of integration) and working in a position in line with his or her objectives. The path to further advancement is clear. | Immigrant has established a Canadian employment record. | Immigrant is able to freely choose social institutions and community involvement. Faced with the opportunity of being involved in OLMC, country-of-origin community and/or majority language community activities, immigrant chooses continued involvement with OLMC. OLMC gains a new "member." | |||
LANGUAGE
As an immigrant moves from dependence on minority language service delivery to autonomy, his or her ties with the OLMC result less from necessity than from choice. OLMC needs to transform utilitarian bond into voluntary community involvement.
