Canadian universities aren’t doing enough to make sure students are conversant in both official languages, according to a recent report by Graham Fraser, Canada’s commissioner of official languages.
“Language skills are an asset in the public and private sectors,” said Fraser, who advises the federal government to set up financial assistance to help students develop language skills. He also called on the heritage and official languages minister to bring interested parties together to discuss how to improve matters.
Although second-language learning programs are intensively taught during elementary and high school levels, the study found that universities don’t see language learning as a priority.
The study, entitled “Two Languages, A World of Opportunities: Second-Language Learning in Canada’s Universities,” includes an assessment of 84 universities and identifies “important gaps that keep students from developing their second- language skills as they pursue higher education and prepare to enter the workforce.”
Universities got points for offering some second-language courses, but they lack more intensive opportunities, with limited immersionstyle offerings and only a handful of schools presenting second-language opportunities for students in different disciplines, such as engineering, business, or nursing.
An interactive online map was released along with the report to help students find universities that offer programs and courses in both English and French.
U of T offers French-language courses at beginner, intermediate, and advanced or intensive levels, including French-language instruction in linguistics, teaching, and cinema. The university also offers exchanges or visits to Quebec, France, Belgium, and Switzerland. The French Club, EFUT, hosts regular activities and conversation clubs.
Canadian universities that offer French immersion programs include the University of Ottawa, York University’s Glendon College, and University of Alberta’s Faculté Saint-Jean.
