Evidence of meeting #5 for Official Languages in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was programs.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Francine Raynault NDP Joliette, QC
Scholarships represent incentives for students. That support also enables students to live in a different community. That's a valuable dimension.
My next question is for all three witnesses.
You frequently mentioned the shortage of French teachers. What can we do to produce more French teachers who teach French immersion? What should we do to encourage those teachers to teach French immersion?
4:50 p.m.
Director General, Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne
I'm not sure whether people realize the shortage exists. The first step is to let them know about it. Some areas have a more severe shortage. The smaller the francophone minority community is in a region with French immersion, the more severe the teacher shortage. Finding solutions to the shortage requires an examination of the problem. I'm not convinced that, today, we have a comprehensive view of the problem.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Francine Raynault NDP Joliette, QC
What do we do now to let people know that we need teachers to teach students in French?
4:50 p.m.
Director General, Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne
The first thing to do is determine where the shortage exists. The second step is to let young people pursuing post-secondary education know that we need more French as a second language teachers.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Francine Raynault NDP Joliette, QC
My understanding, then, is that no study was done on the shortage.
4:50 p.m.
Director General, Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne
Studies may have been done, but I'm not familiar with any.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Francine Raynault NDP Joliette, QC
Gentlemen, do you know where the shortages are? How can we tell people we need French teachers?
4:50 p.m.
Superintendent, Curriculum and Instruction Support Services., Peel District School Board
I know that when this has been brought up before, the Ontario College of Teachers has suggested that there's not a shortage, but it has been our experience that there is.
One of the things that we're doing is that we're working in collaboration with faculties of education so that we can work with students who have not yet completed their teacher training to make them aware of the opportunities to teach French immersion or French as a second language in our board, so that they can be aware of that as a decision earlier in their teacher preparation.
4:50 p.m.
NDP
Francine Raynault NDP Joliette, QC
All three of you seem concerned about the lack of French teachers in your communities. I hope that French teachers will eventually hear you so they can help others benefit from French-language skills. It's important for people in other provinces to speak French. French-speaking communities are scattered throughout the country. These people need to preserve their language so they can work in French later and, why not, teach French in their communities.
There's something else I'd like to know. Generally, what are the main challenges of learning a second language, be it French or English in the Canadian context? Any of the three witnesses can answer that.
4:50 p.m.
Director General, Association des universités de la francophonie canadienne
The first challenge is ensuring language learning happens not just in school, but outside the classroom as well. French as a second language learners have to be able to speak French outside the classroom in order to practise their skills and integrate into francophone communities. Doing that familiarizes them with the culture and gives them a greater appreciation of why they are learning French as a second language.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
4:55 p.m.
Superintendent, Curriculum and Instruction Support Services., Peel District School Board
Very often the students might be in a French immersion program, but the parents don't have facility in the French language themselves. So we've embarked on several projects to help parents better support their children who are learning French.
There have been some very successful partnerships with Canadian Parents for French, and also some projects through the ministry of education, to support parents who don't have a facility in French but want to encourage their children to develop that.
Support for parents to support their kids outside of the classroom has been a promising avenue of support.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Michael Chong
Very good.
I want to thank all the committee members for their questions and comments.
I would also like to thank Ms. Lalonde for her input.
Thank you very much to Mr. Moreash and Mr. Moynihan for your testimony.
All of that will be very helpful as we draft a report on second language immersion programs throughout Canada.
Without further ado, this meeting is adjourned.