Sam Lyn
The new language law in Quebec, Bill 96, stipulates that newly arriving residents of Quebec “will be allowed to get services in English or another language for the six months after their arrival. After that, all government services will be exclusively in French” (Marchand, 2022).
Not only does the span of six months seem insufficient for mastering a language according to virtually every language learning theory known to date, it is also questionable, provided that even if such a method existed (some polyglots have made such claims, but the evidence is anecdotal), whether or not it would be feasible to at least gain a foothold on the basics of French by making use of the learning resources Quebec government provides for learning French.
Allen (2006) problematizes the acceuil program for immigrant school children, many of whom, failed after a year of intensive study, let alone six months. But what about grownups? What kinds of programs are available to adult migrants to Quebec?
Le Ministère de l‘Immigration, de laFrancisationetde l‘Intégration du Québec (MIFI) advertises two programs for adult immigrants on its website, https://www.quebec.ca/en/education/learn-french/ , a part-time program and a full-time program.
What follows is my own phenomenological study of the experience of enrolment into both of these programs.
The part-time program
To enroll into a part-time program, the applicant has two options available: MIFI partner institutions, and specially designated schools. The former are the aid centers for immigrants, like CLAM ( https://www.leclam.ca/francisation ). Although in theory one can apply for a French course there online, they never responded my email. So, after having waited for several weeks, I paid a visit to them in person. The French course secretary was very polite and helpful and assisted me with my application right away. But the problem is, the partner institution courses start every three months, so if you are not lucky and arrive in Quebec when a course just started, you won’t be able to begin your classes for up to three months. In the worst case scenario, this would leave our poor immigrant applicant 3 months only to “master the language.” The public French schools for immigrants have 2-month terms, so in that sense, an unlucky applicant would have 4 months to learn the language. Plus, to enroll in a school, like Centre William Hingston, for example ( https://centre-william-hingston.cssdm.gouv.qc.ca/english/ ) one has to pay 55$ application fee. Partner institutions are free. Financial aid of up to 400$ is available via MIFI.
The full-time program
The 30-hour/week full-time program might seem like a better choice for someone who wishes to learn French fast. But is is in no way straightforward. The first pitfall is that although the application is done online via the MIFI website ( https://www.quebec.ca/en/education/learn-french/full-time-courses/#c83994 ), the applicants need to send in photocopies of their immigration/citizenship documents by mail. So I did, too. I waited for over a month for my file to get processed. Then it took another month until I had my evaluation interview phone call. They call you in random times during the day, and if you are on the bus or at work, they leave you a message, but you cannot call them back. After you miss your phone call twice, they stop calling you, which means you are not getting in. Luckily, I was able to pick up the call the second time and had my interview. After the interview it took me another two weeks to get enrolled in a MIFI recommended school. That being said, again, courses run ever 2 or 3 months so just like the part-time time lag it might take you a while to get into the next available course. So all in all you might wait for 4-5 months to get in. So much for learning French the official way in Quebec.
To be continued . . .
References
Allen, D. (2006). Who’s in and who’s out? Language and the integration of new immigrant youth in
Quebec. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 10(2-3), 251–263.
https://mcgill.on.worldcat.org/oclc/425548504
Marchand, L. (2022, May 21). What’s in Quebec’s new law to protect the French Language. CBC
News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/bill-96-explained-1.6460764
Hi Sam!
I agree that this topic has sparked an increasing number of discussions in society. These French language requirements appear to be based on a variety of circumstances. People have different perspectives on this issue.
I really like how you depicted this point!
Di Niu
Hi Sam!
I agree that 6 months is not enough to learn a language. However, unless you are a refugee, you have time to prepare for your arrival in a new country. A friend of mine emmigrated from Quebec to Germany. When she decided to do this she knew not a word of German but began to learn in preparation. A year before leaving, she had applied to a University and would receive constant letters and paperwork in order to register. All the documents were written in German. No exceptions were made. She used Google Translate to make sense of the letters since her beginner level did not allow her to understand the language. But with hard work she succeeded and knew enough to get by in Germany when the time came to leave Quebec. She refused to rely on English even though most of her new friends in Germany spoke English too.
I think the same applies to anyone who wants to immigrate to Quebec.
Hi Sam!
I agree that 6 months is not enough to learn a language. However, unless you are a refugee, you have time to prepare for your arrival in a new country. A friend of mine emmigrated from Quebec to Germany. When she decided to do this she knew not a word of German but began to learn in preparation. A year before leaving, she had applied to a University and would receive constant letters and paperwork in order to register. All the documents were written in German. No exceptions were made. She used Google Translate to make sense of the letters since her beginner level did not allow her to understand the language. But with hard work she succeeded and knew enough to get by in Germany when the time came to leave Quebec. She refused to rely on English even though most of her new friends in Germany spoke English too.
I think the same applies to anyone who wants to immigrate to Quebec.
-Marina Koutsis
Hi Sam,
I agree with you that Bill 96 would become a big challenge for new immigrants. Six months are certainly not enough for grownups to master a new language, as a result, the newcomers would be people who have French ethnic background or people who come from French-colonized countries. As Legault won the election, Quebec will perpetuate the French supremacy culture, and French class will become more important in high school, even cégep level.
From an allophone perspective, this strategy would make immigrants feel less integrated. From a francophone perspective, the immigrants have the obligation to speak French if they choose Quebec as their new home.
Elisa
Bonjour, Sam!
Thanks for your timely post! I believe it is never too late to learn a new language. When I arrived in Montreal on August 03, 2022, I immediately registered for a part-time French class every Saturday. Indeed, there are tons of immigrants who are into French language learning as I have been on a waitlist since then. Lord willing, I am commencing my level 1 by January 2023. I was told that each level runs for 4 months. It is free for permanent residents and Canadian citizen https://www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/publications/en/form/formulaire-francisation-anglais-dyn.pdf. If one needs financial assistance, part-time students will be paid $26 per meeting. I cannot wait to start my French class.
Albert M.