According to Statistics Canada, 93.6% of immigrants in 2021 were proficient in English or French, which are the country’s official languages. This represents a significant majority of immigrants speaking either language. Still, a closer look identifies a noteworthy pattern. Even if a sizable percentage of immigrants speak French or English fluently, English is clearly preferred by those who are new to Canada. In this article we will discover Fewer French speakers in Canada can boost immigration chances.
According to a new Statistics Canada study, newcomers in Quebec are significantly less proficient in French than immigrants from other provinces.
In Quebec, over the past 60 years, the percentage of people who can converse in French either solely or in addition to English has more than doubled. With the province’s population growing from 38.4% in 1951 to 80.5% in 2021, this rise is noteworthy.
On the other hand, the study shows a decrease in the proportion of immigrants living outside of Quebec who can converse fluently in both French and English or who can speak French exclusively. Just 5.5% of immigrants outside of Quebec could talk in French either by itself or in addition to English in 2021, down from 6.6% in 2001. In the meantime, between 2001 (93.3%) and 2021 (92.9%), the proportion of immigrants who are either fluent in English alone or proficient in both English and French did not change.
As of 2021, there were only 102,000 immigrants living outside of Quebec who spoke French as their first language. This represents fewer than 1% of all people living outside of the province.
These numbers highlight a general pattern in which English speakers remain highly concentrated outside of Quebec while the number of people speaking French is declining, placing them in the minority in these areas.
How Fewer French speakers in Canada can boost immigration chances?
The Canadian government is required by the Official Languages Act to maintain and protect the official status of both English and French. This means making sure that English and French are treated equally and supporting their growth throughout the country, including raising their equality in official Canadian institutions and society. Furthermore, it is the government’s responsibility to facilitate the development of minority linguistic groups, which include both French and English populations where appropriate.
A significant portion of this duty falls on the IRCC. IRCC has created a special immigration category for French speakers within its Express Entry managed programs, which include the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), as part of its efforts to promote the French language outside of Quebec’s borders.
Surprisingly, it is projected that this particular immigrant category will experience substantial expansion in the upcoming years. The government had set a goal for Francophone immigration from beyond Quebec to make up 4.4% of all new immigrants by 2023; however, the IRCC exceeded this goal with a rate of 4.7%. In addition, the IRCC has stated its goals for immigration of Francophones from outside Quebec, aiming for 6% in 2024, 7% in 2025, and 8% in 2026.
Accelerated Language Learning for IRCC’s French-Speaking Category
In order to be eligible for the French category of the IRCC, entrants must achieve a level 7 in reading, writing, speaking, and listening on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) scale.
The two approved French exams for Canadian immigration that are supported by IRCC are the Test d’Evaluation Du Français (TEF) and the Test de Connaissance du Français (TCF), which newcomers must complete to establish their proficiency.
Here are some ways that beginners can use to learn French (and other languages) more quickly.
Immersion
Immersion is one of the most widely advised methods for picking up a foreign language quickly. The idea is to put oneself in a situation where learning a language becomes necessary for day-to-day communication, which will accelerate learning.
People can imitate immersive language experiences even in the comforts of their own homes in this day and age of abundant media. One way to speed up language acquisition is to interact with media content in the target language, such as podcasts, movies, TV series, and other media.
Utilizing flashcards and spaced repetition techniques
Just like immersion techniques, flashcards are well known for encouraging “active recall,” in which the brain actively searches for memories rather than passively retrieving them. This is why they are useful for language learning (and learning in general). The brain transfers memories from short-term to long-term storage more easily when this active involvement occurs.
The best method to use flashcards is to space out your learning across time, according to the respected and scientifically supported beliefs of psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus. Ebbinghaus’s study showed that when study sessions are spread out (reviewing the same flashcards 7-8 times per week) as opposed to concentrated within a single session (reviewing the same flashcards 7-8 times in one day), people attain noticeably better learning outcomes.
Engaging in the study of historical linguistics
According to a recent study conducted at the University of British Columbia (UBC), vocabulary learning may be accelerated by using terms that have roots in both the learner’s original language and the language they are currently studying. For native or fluent English speakers, who can find many parallels with French, this revelation is especially helpful.
For example, the French word “avis,” which means opinion, notion, view, or judgment, is thought to be the source of the English word “advice”. Likewise, the English word “beige” comes from the French word “bege,” which refers to the uncolored natural state of cotton and wool.
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