"Why immersion and second language
education will be important in
our action plan"
Notes for an address
by the Honourable Stéphane Dion,
President of the Privy Council and
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Speech delivered at the conference
"Celebrating the Past, Reflecting on the Present,
Cultivating the Future of CPF"
Delta Ottawa Hotel and Suites
Ottawa, Ontario
October 18, 2002
Check against delivery
Given the responsibilities that Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, conferred on me as minister responsible for the coordination of official languages, I cannot underline sufficiently to what extend it is an honour and a privilege for me to be the guest of honour of an organization made up of no less than 17,000 Anglophone parents who everyday work to support the French reality in Canada. Twenty-five years have already passed since your creation. You are very young, Canadian Parents for French and yet you have already accomplished a lot for Canadians.
It is truly important that we talk, you and me, at this moment when, with my colleagues, notably the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Sheila Copps, we are preparing an action plan to relaunch the official languages policy of the Government of Canada. On this date last year, I met with your national president, Joan Netten. Reading last year’s annual report entitled " The State of French Second Language Education in Canada " has helped guide our reflection and it is with much anticipation that I await the opportunity to become familiar with the new report which you have made public today.
It is the conviction of the Prime Minister Chrétien that the French language is not only at the root of our past as Canadians, but it is also, and above all, a key condition for a prosperous future for all Canadians. It is a conviction which I know you share and it is on this basis that we must reinforce our partnership.
Today, I would like to elaborate on the importance of what you are doing for your children and for the future of Canada. I will begin by insisting on three elementary realities. First, it is a good to learn a second language. Second, it is good to learn French. Third, Canada, with your help, has developed an effective model for learning languages.
This being said, Canadian bilingualism is facing enormous challenges which I will touch on in the fourth part. Finally, in the fifth and last part I will describe the key role that the learning of second languages will play in the action plan, along with everything we intend to do for the development of official language communities. This action plan should be of the greatest interest to you and it is essential that I benefit from all of your suggestions.
1. Why learn a second language?
Bilingualism is not an uncommon reality. It has been estimated half of humanity is bilingual1. Every language invented by humankind is part of a shared cultural heritage. To learn a second or third language has always been of value. During the renaissance, an educated person generally spoke at least three languages: Greek, Latin and their mother tongue.
In the last thirty years, the benefits of second language learning are well documented2:
students fluent in two languages obtain higher scores in both verbal and non-verbal intelligence testing;
second language students obtain higher test scores in reading, language and mathematics;
second language education significantly strengthens first language skills in areas of reading, vocabulary, grammar and communication skills;
second language students have superior cross-cultural skills and adapt better to varying cultural contexts.
In today’s world, a global world, where Canadians have to interact more than ever with other countries, other cultures, two language skills are a key condition for our nation's success.
For every Canadian, and for Canada as a nation, it is a matter of cultural enrichment, because bilingualism opens the door to a different vision of the world. It is also a matter of economic enrichment : having dual language skills improves access to markets and opportunities and facilitates the mobility of Canadians, which in turn means attracting the right people for the jobs we have, wherever they are.
Do we really have the choice? To put it dramatically, the UN report on language policies in the 21st century emphatically states and I quote: "you can buy in any language but you sell in the language of the client". Many of our competitors around the world understand that. European countries invest massively in the language skills of their populations.
I just came back from Finland. There, a substantial proportion of the population speak Finnish, Swedish and English and an impressive number even speak a fourth language such as German or French. Why is the situation not the same in Canada? Canadians are as intelligent as the Finns.
Some may say that for an English-speaker to learn another language is pointless since English is the modern lingua franca. English is the international language in our world more than Latin ever was in antiquity. It is the dominant language of business, science, mass culture, the Internet and so on.
Many say : "Why should I learn another language - each time I travel and I try to use it, people become impatient with my efforts and respond to me in English!?". As leaders of French immersion, you probably hear this argument frequently. And I am sure that you respond as I do, that learning another language has intrinsic value and that, the vast majority of humanity does not speak English.
Indeed, some English speaking populations clearly understand that. Let's take the example of Ireland. In one decade the Irish have transformed their economy into an impressive high tech powerhouse by investing in the skills of their population. And central to their international competitiveness has been the learning of other languages.
2. Why French?
English and French are logical choices for Canadians. The choice of English is such an obvious one for French speaking Canadians. They would choose it as a second language even if it was not the language of their fellow citizens, since English is the international language. In my province, Quebec, there is currently a debate on the opportunity to start English as early as grade one. It is now compulsory as of grade four.
But for an English-speaking Canadian, why choose French as a second language? Well, French is the mother tongue of one Canadian in four. French is also an international language spoken around the world. Estimates of the number of French speakers around the world range from one hundred million to two hundred and fifty million. Twenty-five countries have French as one of their official languages.
According to the 2001 Eurobarometer study, the language most frequently known by Europeans in addition to their mother tongue is English (41%), followed by French (19%), German (10%), Spanish (7%) and Italian (3%). To put it another way, this means that nearly one fifth of non-Francophone Europeans say they know French. French is the second most frequently taught language in the world. It is the second most prevalent language on the Internet.
French and English are the languages of world diplomacy. French is an official working language of the United Nations, the International Red Cross, the International Olympic Committee, the European Economic Community, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the International Labour Bureau.
There are many arguments for French as a second language for English-speaking Canadians. Since French is one of Canada's official languages, we have the know-how, the experience and teaching skills to promote use of this language. Learning French under these conditions is a solid first step to learning other languages. It is why, practically speaking, French is for English speaking Canadians, by far the most frequent second language of choice. More than two million Canadians speak French as a second language.
The next most popular non mother-tongue language is Spanish - but a distant third, with about a quarter of a million speakers. Many of these Spanish speakers first learned English or French as a second language.
Europeans say that a person who speaks three languages is trilingual. A person who speaks two languages is bilingual. And a person who speaks one language is an... American. Canada’s bilingualism is undoubtedly a competitive advantage. The presence of English and French in Canada opens the door to other languages. This is an advantage that we have and that Americans do not.
Canadians are more and more conscious that this is a unique situation and we cannot afford to ignore it.
Our ability to teach French to English-speaking Canadians and Canadians from every linguistic background is a Canadian advantage. It is well known abroad as a model. Let me talk for a moment about what has been called the Canadian immersion model.
3. The Canadian model
Our language immersion programs are used as models in half a dozen countries: the United States, Australia, Finland, Hong Kong, Singapore and Spain.
A 1993 report for UNESCO by the World Federation of Modern Languages Associations, states, "Thanks to the Canadian initiatives and to the professional discussion triggered by them, some principles can be recommended to all those who desire to solve actual problems arising from the bilingual character of their society."
This view was further confirmed in a December 2000 report titled "Foreign Language Teaching: What the United States can learn from other countries: prepared by the Center for Applied Linguistics which states: "One of the most successful and widely researched practices in immersion education over the past three decades is [found] in Canada."
I told you that I just came back from Finland. Our immersion school model has been imported there. A pioneer of Swedish immersion, Professor Siv Bjorklund says, "The program would not exist if it were not for the parents’ initiative. We need this kind of nation-wide organization, like Canadian Parents for French, in order for the immersion program in Finland to expand." In fact, the Finns use our language teaching know how with better results than us. Obviously, we can do better in Canada.
The action plan that the Prime Minister asked me to develop with the Honourable Sheila Copps, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and all my colleagues, will not miss the opportunity to play to our strengths : our official languages communities and the desire of Canadians to fully participate in our linguistic duality must be exploited. This obviously includes the success of our French immersion programs. Canada needs your know - how, Canadian Parents for French.
Each of the conference organizers, in fact each of you, have worked to make Canada a recognized world leader in second language learning. This success is due to your continued efforts and to the commitment of Canadian families across this country.
4. Impressive achievements and challenges to be faced
Over the last quarter century, the advancements that we have made as a nation in the teaching, promotion and use of the second language, is nothing less than remarkable – if you turn your mind back to our point of departure.
As the Minister responsible for Official Languages policy, I am intimately aware of all that has not been done, of what remains to be done, and I have no intention of skirting over these issues. I will get to this in a few moments.
But, I believe it is useful on an anniversary like this one, to celebrate, to look back with justifiable satisfaction at the solid foundation that has been built, and look forward with optimism at what will be achieved by adding strength to our future initiatives.
Today, 2.6 million children – half of those attending primary or secondary schools in Canada are learning English or French as a second language. Some 324,000 are in French immersion classes.3
Currently 24% of young Canadian high school graduates know both official languages. We have the most bilingual generation of young Canadians in history. This is a considerable feat if you consider that in 1981, only 8 percent of young Anglophones outside Quebec could speak French. Today, 19 percent of these young Anglophones speak French. The progress of bilingualism has been especially striking in the predominantly English-speaking provinces such as Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia. Between 1981 and 1996, bilingualism increased by over 100% in four provinces and territories and by over 50% in another six.4
In my own province of Quebec, Francophones and Anglophones alike, parents and their children, are challenging the myth of the two solitudes. In Quebec, the level of bilingualism among Francophones it is 34% – according to the 1996 census. Among the Anglophones, it increased from 37% in 1971 to 63% in 1996. In one generation, English-speaking Quebecers became impressively bilingual. What an example for other Canadians!
These achievements are impressive. But there are challenges. In my consultations with second language educators and stakeholders you have identified a long list of problems that persist. You know as well as I do that the growing teacher shortage across Canada is particularly acute in specialized areas such as French immersion. The demand for second-language teachers already outstrips the supply.
The problems are complex and vary from region to region, however, there are common issues such as:
As parents and educators, you are the last people who need to be reminded that across the country the problems are similar:
lack of continuous use of the second language;
failure to carry on through university;
a high drop out rate in elementary and high schools. [Halsall and Cummings].
Inadequate classroom materials;
the absence of remedial resources;
and a scarcity of qualified teachers.
Attrition is also a problem. As you know, the reasons for attrition are multiple and complex. These include the lack of variety in course choice and the quality of programs. However, across the country, enrolment has been stagnant over the last ten years in second-language programs, around 50% for core programs in either language and in French immersion programs. Today, a total of seven percent of eligible students across the country are enrolled in French immersion programs.
We need to work together to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn their second official language.
You are not alone in facing these challenges. Let me talk about the action plan that the federal government is working on to revitalize our official languages policies.
5. Developing an action plan for Canada
When the Prime Minister first directed me in April, 2001 to renew and reinvigorate our commitment, he asked me to coordinate the Government of Canada’s official languages policy and to chair a Reference Group of Ministers on this issue.
Since then I have travelled the country for consultation, received numerous briefs and met representatives from all of the interested stakeholders, including Canadian Parents for French.
Three weeks ago in the Speech from the Throne, Government emphasized our intention to act, to provide vision and leadership in the promotion of official languages.
The Speech from the Throne is unequivocal about our commitment:
"Linguistic duality is at the heart of our collective identity. The government will implement an action plan on official languages that will focus on minority-language and second-language education, including the goal of doubling within ten years the number of high school graduates with a working knowledge of both English and French".[Speech from the Throne, September 30, 2002].
In order for the number of high school graduates who are bilingual to double in the coming decade, given the fact that currently 24% of young Canadian high school graduates know both official languages, Canada will need to invest in second language education. This goal can be achieved. It must be achieved.
The Official Languages in Education Program agreements with the provinces (OLEP) will be up for renewal in 2003. Minister Copps will work with her provincial counterparts to achieve tangible results, based on jointly determined objectives. We all know how much Sheila is a tireless advocate of bilingualism in this country. Her record of passion and belief in the need to sustain and allow our two languages to flourish are without question.
The Honourable Jane Stewart, the Minister of Human Resources Development, has made doubling the rate of bilingual graduates a priority in the government's innovation and skills strategy. Ministers will work as a team to meet this goal. We will need to:
attract more students to second-language education programs;
increase the number of instructors at all levels, as well as their skills;
enhance the quality of second-language education;
increase the availability of classroom materials, remedial resources and qualified teachers;
provide opportunities for secondary school graduates to use and build on their second-language skills through summer employment, exchange programs and easier access to post-secondary education.
We intend to undertake, in concert with our provincial partners, a strategy to relaunch second language learning in Canada. This would include federal support for projects that target:
enhancing core or regular second language education including supporting cultural enhancement, development of pedagogical tools, and innovative new approaches such as intensive teaching approaches;
relaunching immersion by supporting recruitment initiatives and measures to expand access to immersion;
increasing the supply of qualified teachers by putting measures in place to target recruitment, training, retention; and
supporting measures that allow graduates to use their second language. We are looking at measures to enhance linguistic exchanges and incentives to enroll in post-secondary education in the second language.
Conclusion
You have a committed partner in the Government of Canada. We have set for ourselves an important goal, an ambitious goal, but most of all an achievable goal: doubling the numbers of bilingual high school graduates in Canada and, more broadly, setting the course for linguistic duality for this new century.
I know that we have the support of Canadians. Eight out of ten - including no fewer than seven out of ten in every province - support Canada’s official languages policy. Among the youth - 18 to 24 year old - 91% favour the policy and support bilingualism.[CRIC paper # 4] This generation and the one of your children has the right to full access to its double linguistic heritage. We do not have the right to stand in their way.
I know that you will succeed because Canadian Parents for French has spent 25 years demonstrating that parents everywhere across the country want us to succeed.
With our vibrant official language communities, with the participation of all Canadians, and especially, with the help of Canadians like yourselves who are on the front line of language duality, teachers and parents, Canada will succeed in English et en Français.
Grosjean, François, Life with Two Languages: An Introduction to Bilingualism, Cambridge Mass., Harvard University Press, 1982.
Alberta Education, Government of Alberta, Impact of Second language Education Study.
Data collected by Statistics Canada’s Centre for Education Studies and published in Canadian Heritage: Official Languages, Annual Report: 2000-2001.
Prince Edward Island (170%), Newfoundland and Labrador (167%), Northwest Territories (105%),Nova Scotia (100%), Saskatchewan (88%), Manitoba (82%), Yukon (77%), British Columbia (72%), Alberta (70%) and New Brunswick (69%).
According to CPF’s survey of school districts, 65% are currently experiencing modest shortages of French immersion elementary teachers, 71% of high school teachers and 93% of substitute teachers. Most anticipate that the situation will continue or become more severe. Shortages of core French teachers is particularly acute at the Elementary level (69% report modest shortages) and less severe at the high school level (49% report modest shortages).