Official Languages committee  That varies from one region to another.

Official Languages committee  It varies from school board to school board.

Official Languages committee  There are probably many factors. One of the factors is even as fundamental as knowing what we mean by “functionally bilingual”, which is where our focus on the cadre came into place. Another factor is that it's a real battle to even keep kids in French until they get to that age level, because there are all sorts of other pressures and reasons why they do not continue with French.

Official Languages committee  One of the big challenges is having enough competent second language speakers to teach and encourage our kids. It won't happen by 2013, but the number of students choosing French, who have enough French to even consider doing that, is not very great in some of our western universities.

Official Languages committee  The value placed on second languages, both for exiting high school and for entering university, has greatly diminished. It used to be far more prevalent. There are the official policies and then there are what the guidance counsellors are recommending and what message is coming down, with the priority perhaps being put on other areas.

Official Languages committee  Yes.

Official Languages committee  Hello. I'm going to start and then Nicole will take over. Thank you for the invitation to speak today. l am John Erskine, president of the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers, also known as CASLT. In my regular work l am the French and languages consultant with the Winnipeg School Division and a sessional instructor in initial teacher education for the Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface.