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Bilingualism in Canada
Making the Right Education Choice for Your Child By Alina Kelly
Since the passage of the first Official Languages Act in 1968, French language programs across the country have rapidly increased in both availability and variety. According to the Department of Canadian Heritage, 2.7 million students across the country are learning English or French as a second language in Canadian schools, and more than 300,000 are enrolled in French immersion programs. Educational choices are on the rise, but how are parents to decide what is best for their child?
Ginevra Saylor of Toronto, Ontario, researched education options extensively and agonized over the decision about where to enrol her 4-year-old daughter in school. She values both public and French language education, having studied French through university herself. After weighing a number of factors, including the importance of having a solid grounding in English, Saylor has enrolled her daughter in a small private school for September. Her daughter will receive 30 to 40 minutes of French instruction daily. She has not closed the door on French immersion. "We're taking it one year at a time," says Saylor. "We'll see how it goes."
"We didn't do any formal research into French immersion and academic success, but there were a few factors that made the decision easier," says Elizabeth Boyle, a mom from Winnipeg, Manitoba. "It probably helped that we were surrounded by neighbours who speak two or three languages. French immersion was easy to access in our school division. We knew other people who had sent their children there and were pleased with the school. We were pretty confident that Emma would get a good education at this school. Most importantly, we were pretty sure Emma would enjoy learning another language."
The Canadian Heritage Web site defends Canada's policy of linguistic duality and bilingualism by suggesting that bilingualism is "a selling point for Canada." Among the facts cited is that the number of bilingual Canadians doubled between 1951 and 1991, up from 12 to 16 percent of the population. Bilingual people have a higher rate of participation in the labour force compared to those who speak one language. Studies have shown that those who learn more than one language will also learn other subjects more easily.
Walter Azzalini, a teacher in Toronto, Ontario, believes that bilingualism is more important than ever. "Bilingualism leads to improved opportunities for jobs both within and outside Canada," he says. "Exposure to the French language is becoming increasingly important as the world's economies become more global."
According to Azzalni, "Exposure to an alternative culture is also an enriching educational experience, which heightens learning and enjoyment when travelling within Canada as well as to other countries."
If global competitiveness is an important outcome of language learning, then Canadian children will be well served by their exposure to French. However, as Boyle puts it, "Employability aside, isn't it wonderful to be able to communicate with more people?"