Learning French as an Adult: A Review of Current Best Practices in Adult French-Language Training in Québec

2023 - 06 - 21

Authors

Executive Summary

Cimminnee Holt, Policy Researcher, PERT

Sithandazile Kuzviwanza, Director of Policy & Research, PERT

Contributors

Maria J. De Las Salas, Communications and Engagement Specialist, PERT

Nicholas Salter, Executive Director, PERT

Chad Walcott, Director of Engagement & Communications, PERT

Piers Young, Engagement Coordinator, PERT

Learning French is a challenge for many linguistic minorities in Québec. Given the growing primacy of French in the province, learning French is increasingly a priority for individuals who face French-language barriers and seek to participate in broader Québec society and the labour market. Previous research by the Provincial Employment Roundtable has explored Québec’s adult French-language training ecosystem in order to understand the availability and accessibility of programs in the province. This research demonstrated that Québec’s adult French-language training framework is a patchwork of programs with varying availability and costs, as well as significant barriers to access for individuals depending on their regional location, immigration status, and employment status, among other eligibility criteria.

Additionally, although there are tangible benefits to language learning, research shows that adults can encounter more difficulty in learning a language compared to youth; adults require more time and investment to improve their language proficiency and are often managing various commitments, such as work and caregiving. Given the particular characteristics of adult language learning, special attention must be paid to the development and implementation of adult language programs.

This study aims to contribute to the improvement of adult French-language training programs in Québec. It provides an overview of best practices for adult French-language training based on interviews with twenty-four (24) educators, administrators, and researchers working to improve adult French-language training, as well as secondary peer-reviewed research on language learning. Focus is placed on French-language training for English speakers, particularly those who face language-related barriers to employment.

Recommendations:

Increased investments in work-integrated language training programs.
- Develop and fund programs for job-specific French-language training and French-language work placement programs.
- Incentivize employees and employers to enroll and participate in work-integrated French-language training programs.
Increased investments to support the education workforce.
- Invest in the recruitment, training and retention of French-language teachers and staff.
- Collaborate with the education sector to establish resource centres for French-language teachers to share pedagogy.
- Implement rapid-training programs to certify new teachers to deliver adult French-language training.
- Integrate French-language mentors and volunteers into the learning ecosystem.
Increased collaboration amongst program providers to develop and implement French-language training programs that include plurilingualism, cultural exchange, confidence-building and lifelong learning as main pedagogical approaches.
Develop and implement a strategy to better leverage technology to improve learner outcomes.
- Increase access to online French-language training content.
- Invest in learning technologies to facilitate autonomous learning.
- Improve digital literacy among all Quebecers.
- Expand high-speed internet infrastructure across Québec.
Expansion of the availability of affordable adult French-language training programs in order to lower barriers to accessing programs.
- Increase the number of free or low-cost programs in order to lower financial barriers to accessing French-language training.
- Set limits for class sizes.
- Ensure flexible learning environments by experimenting with in-person, hybrid and online learning options.