One step closer to a bilingual Canada
Ottawa will award scholarships to students who study in French. An update of the Official Languages Act is being prepared.
Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages Melanie Joly said the federal government will spend $12 million CAD to help students study in French. Plans call for 3,400 $3,000 CAD scholarships for English-language high school graduates who will enroll in French-language programs.
The initiative is part of Ottawa's efforts to strengthen bilingualism in Canada as the debate on the status of the French language continues in Quebec.
"We know Canadians have long wanted to learn French, but often they haven't had the opportunity," Minister of Official Languages Melanie Joly said in an interview. — The idea behind the project is for young Canadians to have the opportunity to learn in their second language. The federal government will be able to help them if they can't afford to pay for it.
To receive a scholarship, a student must be a Canadian citizen or resident. He or she must have completed high school in English and be enrolled as a freshman in French. He/she must have sufficient knowledge of French to be able to study in French later on. The minimum age of the scholarship holder is 17 years old.
Quebec fights for French language status
The provincial Coalition for the Future of Quebec plans to revise Quebec's language laws to protect the status of the French language. Quebec argues that French is inferior to English, especially in Montreal.
Quebec Premier François Legault said a legislative review could include quotas that would limit the number of students for the colleges of general and vocational education and training (CEGEP). Legault believes it would help reduce the number of French students who enroll in English programs after graduation. The provincial minister in charge of French is already preparing a bill.
In February, Joly made several federal proposals for changes to the Official Languages Act. One of them would guarantee the right to work in French in Quebec and other predominantly French-speaking communities in Canada. This applies to private businesses with more than 50 employees that are regulated by federal law.
Joly's other proposals: launching a French-speaking immigration policy, bilingual judges on the Supreme Court of Canada, and eliminating waiting lists for French immersion programs.
The reforms aim to establish a "new linguistic balance" in a world where the growth of digital technology and international trade is encouraging the use of English, while the use of French at work and at home is declining.
