Cover Story: Banking On Bilingual Heritage

Learning languages is big business throughout the world. This isn’t news, but for the Official Languages Support Programs (OLSP) Branch of the Canadian federal government’s Department of Canadian Heritage, it’s an exciting opportunity. Since OLSP’s mandate includes the promotion of teaching and learning French and English as second languages both in Canada and internationally, it seemed appropriate for the Branch to jump in and strive to raise awareness about what has become a very dynamic and competitive business worldwide.

Historically, the Official Languages Support Programs Branch supports second language learning through contributions to the provinces and territories for core French, French immersion (bilingual education) and education for native French-speakers living outside Quebec and English-speakers living in Quebec, community support, as well as a host of other programs. It also provides grants to organisations for research studies and projects as well as assistance for the publication of the Canadian Modern Language Review, Canada’s world-renowned research compendium.

Over the last several years, private businesses and public institutions have begun to cash in on Canada’s expertise in teaching English or French as a second language. After all, Canada is known the world over for its immersion teaching phenomenon as well as for the major National Core French Study and the Formative Assessment Package conducted by the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT) (www.caslt.org) which resulted in additional world-class instruction methods.

The Official Languages Support Programs Branch began its promotion of the language training industry in France at Expolangues in January 1996 when Canada was the country of honour. Following this very successful experience, promotion of Canada as a destination of choice for language learners was begun in earnest. A website containing information about where to study in Canada was initiated. www.langcanada.net has recently been revamped and is growing to encompass information about public and private institutions offering English and French as second language courses, information about Canada, language resources as well as links to other important Canadian educational sites of interest to visitors to Canada.

Canadian Heritage has continued to be present at Expolangues, the prestigious language trade show in France; representing the language organisations and inviting participants to travel to Canada to learn their second language. The Department also participates and makes presentations at various gatherings of the key organizations active in this industry: the Council of Second Language Programs (public institutions offering English or French as a second language courses), the Canadian Association of Private Language Schools (CAPLS), the Private English Language Schools Association (PELSA) and the Canadian Education Centres network.

Most recently, OLSP has begun to marry the ideas of language learning and tourism by nurturing a partnership with the Canadian Tourism Commission, beginning with a publicity campaign in France. Learning travel, edu-vacations, séjours linguistiques, are all exciting possibilities which are of interest to people from all over the world wishing to come to Canada to learn a language as well as to enjoy a taste of a culture other than their own.