Press Release – Urgent Need To Improve French Language Training for English Speakers

Montreal, December 9th, 2024 – Anxiety about mastering French, insecurity about the job market and inadequate French language education are undermining the ability of Québec’s English speakers to thrive at work in the province, according to a new report by the Provincial Employment Roundtable. The report also concludes that training programs in the workplace are woefully lacking, making it harder for Québec’s 1.2 million English speakers to fulfil their potential as a formidable labour force in a province where worker shortages in key sectors like healthcare. 

The report can serve as a valuable resource tool for policymakers and educators working in language training and integrating talent into the labour force in Québec. It comes at a time when the Québec government has spent millions to promote the use of French across workplaces, schools, and society.

Yet many English speakers who are motivated to work in the province say they face daunting obstacles when trying to access French language training programs, including long waiting lists for classes and language barriers during the sign-up process.

Katie Burke, a 43-year-old single mother of two, who moved from Ontario to Saint-Donat, in Quebec’s Lanaudière region, has struggled for years to access government-sponsored French classes. Ms. Burke, who studied education and gerontology, did not speak French when she first arrived but was very motivated to learn. However, she soon discovered that the only French language course offered by the Quebec government took place during the day and was a 90-minute car ride away. That was a non-starter as she needed to work to support her family and was already waking up at 5 am for a job teaching children with intellectual disabilities, two hours away.

Faced with an 18-month waiting list for a Quebec government online course, she has tried to acquire the language during shopping trips, community events and yoga classes. She also paid $250 for a private ten-week course. These days, she understands enough French for daily interactions but can’t do the kind of oral presentations that would advance her career. She laments that English speakers in Quebec’s regions struggle to find work commensurate with their education and training, forcing them to find other options that are less well-paid.

“We don’t have the opportunity to access government programs to allow us to become fluent or proficient in French,” she said. “If I could enhance my French skills I would feel more comfortable with the language and it would help my self-esteem,” concluded Burke.

The report identifies three main groups of language learners: Québec-born English speakers, and international students, migrants who have come to Québec from other provinces. Members of all three groups express appreciation for Québec and the French language, and a strong desire to integrate into the job market. However, a conspicuous lack of suitable educational programs is throwing up barriers to fluency.

The report also outlines several recommendations to reduce these obstacles. The website of Francisation Québec, the government agency charged with promoting the French language,  should be updated to include all available language learning resources, including programs for English-speaking professionals across the province. Translating the website into other languages would also improve accessibility for an audience, many of whom have not yet mastered French. 

“Too many English speakers in Quebec who are motivated to learn French feel deeply let down by an education and training system that is failing to give them the language tools they need to thrive in the job market,” said Nicholas Salter, Executive Director of PERT. “These people could be a high-powered motor for Quebec’s economy,” concluded Salter.

The full text of the report can be found here.

– 30 –

About PERT 

The Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT) is a non-profit organisation aimed at improving the employment prospects of Québec’s English-speaking community. We publish data-driven research, organize conferences, and engage with decision-makers at all levels of government to help overcome the challenges the community faces in Québec’s job market.

For more information about the Provincial Employment Roundtable, go to pertquebec.ca

For more information contact:

Chad Walcott
Director of Engagement & Communications
Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT)
Chad@pertquebec.ca
1-855-773-7885 ext. 2