Online program offers French learning opportunities to anglo students

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A new online program will connect anglophone learners to more French-language teaching resources, according to provincial Education Minister Bill Hogan.

Hogan was at Hampton Middle School Tuesday morning for the launch of the Centre of Excellence in Language Learning. The centre was first announced last July as part of recommendations to improve the anglophone education sector.

“This is a way to help our students improve their level of French by exposing them to more authentic experiences,” Hogan said, saying that’s harder to get in majority-anglophone communities.

“When students leave their schools, there’s not a lot of opportunities in the community to experience authentic language. So this will be another tool that we have where students can do that.”

The initiative is one of six “centres of excellence” as part of Future New Brunswick, a provincial-led partnership that includes post-secondary institutions and the New Brunswick Business Council.

According to Ginny Steeves, lead for the Centre of Excellence in Language Learning, each centre of excellence sends out a list of educational opportunities to New Brunswick schools with available resources, which can range from kits for teachers to live events. She said currently there are plans to have a comedian, Hughie Batherson, present streaming shows in March for French week at different language learning levels.

“He’ll speak in majority French, some English, but really cater it to kids and talk about his bilingual journey.”

Steeves said the materials are developed by her and other staff, including with the department of education’s French-second-language staff. She said Hampton was the site of the announcement because they have been active in accessing other centre of excellence programs and have a connection to the staff.

Hogan said the program would be a “gamechanger” to help the province meet its goals in regards to French immersion and French-second-language targets, as well as meeting its long-term recommendations for improvement in the anglophone system. When asked how the success of the program would help in meeting the recommendations, he said he would be presenting that information at the end of March.

A new francophone school for Hampton was part of the province’s capital projects analysis but not ranked. Hogan said he’s not speaking to future capital projects at this time, but that New Brunswick is facing population growth and needs for more space.

“Francophone schools are certainly important. I know in the area of Saint John it does appear we could use another francophone school, and I’m sure we’ll look at that in the future,” Hogan said.

Derek O’Brien, Anglophone School District-South superintendent, spoke at the announcement and said that when he was a French immersion teacher, he “dreamed” of having these kind of resources and that having French-language speakers is a “key component” of instruction.

French immersion is available in Hampton and Sussex from elementary to high school in both early and late streams, according to ASD-S spokesperson Jessica Hanlon. In smaller rural schools with no access, she said students could be transported to the nearest school that has a program.

The Centre of Excellence in Language Learning involved the Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick, the Official Languages Secretariat, Canadian Parents for French New Brunswick, Tourism HR Canada and the Union of Municipalities of New Brunswick, according to a press release.

Louis Cardoza, interim CEO of Tourism N.B., told the crowd that the province needs a “fully bilingual tourism workforce” and that adding more opportunities is “very exciting to us.”

When Steeves spoke, she said that the program was about creating connections, which she said was “not a buzzword” but would help expose learners to career opportunities and “empower students’ with language skills.”

“Together, let’s forge connections,” she said.