Official Languages committee  Yes, but that is just a very small part of it. The second benefit is that this framework assists in teaching, the production of education material and teacher training. All teachers in Canada would be on the same page. They would teach in virtually the same way, but they would teach different things, depending on their provincial or territorial situation.

Official Languages committee  With regard to teacher training, it would be a good idea for teachers to be involved in cultural and linguistic exchanges at the federal level. Francophone teachers from Quebec could go and teach outside their province. Conversely, anglophone teachers could come and teach in Quebec.

Official Languages committee  As I said, the association reacts to the needs of its members, and teachers in the remote regions are obviously facing quite significant challenges. First, we often encounter the situation in which a teacher is teaching mathematics, for example. Since he speaks French, however, he winds up teaching French without having the pedagogical knowledge to teach second languages.

Official Languages committee  Yes, indeed.

Official Languages committee  Needs do vary across the regions. In urban centres, good knowledge of the language and teaching methods are also fundamentally important. However, training in interculturalism and cultural or multicultural knowledge is important. We often suggest that teachers stimulate students' curiosity about other languages.

Official Languages committee  That's correct.

Official Languages committee  Yes, because learning a language means learning a culture. Yes, it is entirely integrated into second-language learning.

Official Languages committee  The Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers began in the early 1970s, so we're over 40 years old. It was created out of a grassroots movement of teachers trying to work in French, teach in French, without any educational material or professional development. This is how it began.

Official Languages committee  To wrap it up on this subject, I believe that many newcomers arrive in Canada with the idea that Canada is bilingual and that it goes without saying that they should learn English and French. We have no statistics on the subject, and it is quite difficult to monitor, but we see this as one of the Canadian values and that Canada's very identity is to be bilingual.

Official Languages committee  Yes, that is a task that falls to several stakeholders. The Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers has worked and co-operated with the Council of Ministers of Education for many years. However, if we want a national consensus, the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Council of Ministers of Education and associations such as CASLT have to meet and discuss the issue.

Official Languages committee  Yes, we have made some good attempts—

Official Languages committee  What exactly? We are in contact with the French-language services division and, on certain matters, with the councils of ministers. However, taking the matter of second-language instruction to the Council of Ministers of Education requires a collective will, as I said earlier. Every minister must be in favour of discussing the matter.

Official Languages committee  There again, to work at the primary and secondary level, we would have to improve not only the quality of teaching, but also the approaches used. Young people today are very connected through social media and on the Internet. I therefore believe that the transition is happening in second language teaching resources, but it is not complete.

Official Languages committee  Yes, absolutely. The federal government could offer incentives to universities to provide French courses to students wishing to continue learning that language. A course or two would be ideal. That would be absolutely feasible and desirable.

Official Languages committee  There should be one for English as well.