rant … accessible French classes for everyone

If there is one thing that really pisses me off about Montreal, it is the lack of inexpensive/free French classes for Canadians who come from outside Quebec.

Fortunately for us, my work will pay (and has paid) for any French courses I take (must enroll for winter session soon!) and Dan is taking it in college, so we are ok. But it is not so easy for the average Canadian anglo. When we first moved to Mtl in 2004 Dan enrolled in the first of five levels of French at the U de M. The course lasted about 12 weeks and cost $400. So if he were to complete the entire program it would have taken over a year and cost $2000. When we registered for the course I was waiting for the cashier to come back from her break and a guy came in to register and was speaking with the receiptionist/registrar. It was too late for the course he wanted (I guess all the classes were full) and he was very distressed. He said he needed to take a course because he couldn’t get a job otherwise – his French was not good enough. The lady working there said “they can’t turn you down for a job based on what languages you speak”. Oh, really?

There is a general sentiment (and often justified resentment) among Quebecers that the resident anglo population of Montreal doesn’t want to learn their language, and unfortunately this is true of some. However, many who move to Quebec do want to learn. Given this, you would think the government and/or city would make it as easy as possible for anglos to learn French, but you would be wrong, wrong wrong. Most of the courses at universities and colleges cost quite a bit, and for someone who is unable to pay the fees, the remaining options are limited. The English school board offers some during the day for people who are currently not working and want to take an intensive course, but one of my friends tried to sign up and eventually gave up due to the limited number of places available and the red tape.

The part that makes me angry is that someone who comes from another country can not only take French courses for free, but in some cases, get paid for it. So why is there no similar policy for Canadians who do not speak (sufficient) French? Theoretically all Canadians have recieved French language education in school, but this is often taught by people who do not speak the language and many students only recieve such education during a few years of junior high or high school; hardly sufficient for working where French is used on a daily basis, and in fact barely enough to do the grocery shopping. I know many people in Mtl and in other places in Canada who speak as little French as people from a foreign country where French is not spoken. So perhaps the message is that the Quebec government is not interested in Canadians from the rest of the country coming to Quebec, which kind of sucks if that is what you happen to be.

I want to learn French and I am trying my best, but it takes longer than I want it to. Thankfully the Grand Biblithèque has a good selection of French language books and bandes desinées which I enjoy and can learn from. I am reading Les Chevaux Célestes and I just finished one of the Lapinot BD. Earlier this year Dan and I read a kid’s BD called Monstreux Bazzar by the same author. And my dear Quebecois friends speak French with me whenever possible, which is absolutely wonderful. And my generous workplace pays for my formation, which I am currently taking through McGill. But I don’t think the “national immigrants” should be treated any different from the “international immigrants”… it borders on discrimination.