Yes, many of us who are born here are still working on our English and French, and that is a process that never ends.
But let's be clear, language requirements have been part of citizenship and were first introduced in the Citizenship Act in 1947. This is nothing new.
All the studies that we have from within government, from outside government, and from other countries show that tests that test people's knowledge of the country of which they're becoming a citizen, and official languages knowledge, help with successful integration. There are better outcomes for those who have this kind of knowledge. We're quite confident that the measures we're taking are moving us in the right direction.
Moreover, new Canadians, permanent residents who are becoming citizens, are responding to this challenge. Over the whole period from November 2010 to September 2013, almost three years, the pass rate for the citizenship test was 80.8%. In January 2014, this year, it was 87%. In February 2014 it was 92%. As these measures have been introduced, as people have become used to the predictable assumption that they will have to take these tests, they are making the necessary preparations and they are having success. That serves Canada well, and it serves new Canadians very well.