CPF Magazine Winter 2020 Issue

WINTER2020
Magazine
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CANADIAN PARENTS FOR FRENCH
HOW TO ACHIEVE
TOTAL IMMERSION
IN FRENCH WITHOUT
LEAVING YOUR HOUSE
Francophone
or Francophile?
PARENTS AS
MULTILINGUAL
EXPERTS

Attention French
Teachers!
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Magazine
CANADIAN PARENTS FOR FRENCH
WINTER 2020
www.cpf.ca
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Michael Tryon, Nicole Thibault,
Towela Okwudire, Denise Massie,
Lucie Newson, Marcos Salaiza
CONTRIBUTORS
Catherine Buchanan, Karen Pozniak,
and other authors and organizations,
as noted in their articles.
EDITORIAL MANAGER
Marcos Salaiza
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Stripe Graphics Ltd.
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WINTER 2020
Table of Contents
FEATURES
3 What Are Immersion Students?
Francophone, Francophile or “In-between”?
7 Parents as Multilingual Experts
10 Celebrating 40 Years of Canadian Parents
for French Saskatchewan
16 5 Ways to Achieve Total Immersion in a
Language Without Leaving Your House
REGULAR ARTICLES
2 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
5 CPF TECH & MEDIA
Visit Museums from the Comfort of Home – In French!
6 CPF RESEARCH
Summary of the State of FSL Education in Canada
2019 Report – Focus on FSL Programs
12 CPF EVENTS
Officially 50! A Conference Marking 50 Years of
Linguistic Duality and Education in Canada
18 CPF RESOURCES
My Experience with Encounters with Canada
20 KEY CPF CONTACTS ACROSS CANADA
This issue of CPF Magazine is printed
on 70lb Endurance Silk, using vegetable
based inks. The paper is FSC certified by the
Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), meaning
it comes from well-managed forests and
known sources, ensuring local communities
benefit and sensitive areas are protected.
Canadian Parents for French is a nationwide, research-informed, volunteer organization
that promotes and creates opportunities to learn and use French for all those who
call Canada home.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
A
cross the country, we are in the midst
of winter. Many of our regions are
experiencing unusual weather
patterns. Unless we are avid sports enthusiasts,
most of us prefer to cocoon inside our homes
with a favourite beverage and a good book.
May I suggest that you consider enjoying the
latest issue of CPF Magazine? It is full of articles
that will inform you, perhaps have you thinking
a little differently, or taking up a challenge with
respect to FSL education and activities.
Last year was an exciting one for Canadian
Parents for French: CPF Saskatchewan celebrated
its 40th anniversary; many of our CPF members
were able to attend the Officially 50 Conference,
celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Official
Languages Act; our Branches and Chapters
continued to hold exciting events for students
and their families, they advocated for more
and better programs to serve the needs of
those wanting to learn and use French; a CPF
Leadership Networking Event was held in
October where we learned about governance
issues that will make us a stronger organization;
the latest report on the State of FSL was
launched at that event, it was wonderful to see
so many people willing and able to share their
experiences with other like-minded individuals.
Whenever I meet CPFers from across the
country, I am struck by their enthusiasm and
willingness to volunteer; attending meetings,
offering programs for students and advocating
on their behalf. I am grateful for the many
hours those volunteers share and spend on
behalf of our organization. If you don’t know
how else you could become involved in more
initiatives, speak to your Branch office or
your local Chapter. They will be happy to
hear from you! n
Nancy McKeraghan,
CPF National President
DON’T MISS THE BEST SUMMER
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2 CPF MAGAZINE WINTER 2020
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What Are Immersion Students?
Francophone, Francophile or “In-between”?1
BY CATHERINE ELENA BUCHANAN OLBI ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AND FRENCH LANGUAGE PROFESSOR
In 2017, the Régime d’immersion en
français 2 of the University of Ottawa
celebrated its 10th anniversary,
at which the Official Languages and
Bilingualism Institute (OLBI) organized
a symposium. All stakeholders were
present – professors, researchers,
politicians, administrators and students
– and a roundtable was organized where
four immersion students spoke about the
shaping and reshaping of their linguistic
identity. The discussion touched on the
confusion that often surrounds certain
key concepts linked to the identity of
learners of French as a second language
(FSL), not only for students but also for
their parents.
How does your child self-identify?
Does she see herself as an anglophone
learning French? Does he consider himself
to be a francophone, a francophile, or
perhaps an “in-between”? What about
the perception of others? The good news
is that concepts of identity are everchanging.
Your child will constantly move
between languages and cultures and be
the richer for it. The bad news is that
they may carry strong feelings about this
linguistic branding.
Francophone
When the etymology of the prefix franco
is analyzed, it is clear that it indicates
either French ancestry or the use of
the French language, often in a specific
region. The suffix phone, which comes
from the Greek phôné, means voice or
sound (Le Petit Robert, 2003). Le Petit
Robert, a dictionary from France, defines
a francophone as a person who, in certain
circumstances, usually speaks French as
either a first or second language (Le Petit
Robert, p. 1125, 2006). This would include
all Canadian FSL speakers, regardless of
their school programs. According to the
Multidictionnaire from Quebec, where
language is a major political issue, a
francophone is someone “whose mother
tongue or language of use is French:
there are more than five million
francophones in Quebec” (p. 663, 2003).
This would exclude most FSL learners.
Finally, from a more official perspective,
Statistics Canada (2010) summarizes the
situation well:
There is no established definition
of Francophone. For historical
reasons, Statistics Canada has
generally used the criterion of
mother tongue, that is, the first
language learned at home in
childhood and still understood
at the time of the census.
Accessed August 23, 2018 at
www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/
89-642-x/2010001/article/
section1-eng.htm
Francophile
As a result, FSL learners are sometimes
labeled Francophiles, which also causes
confusion. Le Petit Robert defines a
Francophile as someone who “loves
France and the French, supports French
politics "(p. 1124). The Multidictionnaire
broadens the definition to include the
love of francophones. Some academic
institutions have taken it to include FSL
learners. At the University of Ottawa,
a Francophile is defined as someone
who comes from the English-speaking
community, but enjoys both French
culture and language (Knoerr, 2016, p.50).
This entanglement of francophonefrancophile
affects not only FSL learners,
but also those who teach French. For
example, a Franco-Ontarian professor,
who is an established researcher in the
CPF MAGAZINE WINTER 2020 3

field of language policy, tells how her own
identity was shaken when she was told,
in a conference setting:
“Madame, you certainly don't expect
us to consider you francophone.
Francophile, yes, but you
are not francophone.”
In her view, in a franco-dominant
context, I had no right to call
myself francophone. 3
(Lamoureux, 2013, p. 124)
This example demonstrates the
confusion inherent to these terms. The
professor, born and raised in a French
environment, is a true defender of
her community’s rights. Some people,
however, dismiss her roots and identify
her as a francophile since her French is
not “good enough”. What does this mean
to FSL learners?
"In-between"
Immersion students can be defined as
being “in-between” two languages . Roy
(2010) and Lamoureux (2016) see them
as both anglophone and francophone.
However, FSL learners have a hard
time seeing themselves as bilingual; it
seems to be an inaccessible goal. Clearly
they cannot be solely anglophone or
francophone, so they are perceived as
anglophones learning French (Roy, 2010).
They inhabit "an in-between identity to
which are attached cultural values specific
to that space". (Lamoureux, 2016 p.549).
They are at a crossroads.
Identity
These three terms – francophone,
francophile and “in-between” – lead us
to the dual nature of identity. Fortunately
or not, one’s identity is not fixed. It is
formed and reformed along with one’s
environment. Identity is constructed at
school, through encounters with others,
and through learning, collaborating and
playing (Lamoureux & Cotnam, 2012).
This process continues in university and
throughout life. Moreover, the concept
of identity is twofold: however we may
define ourselves, others may define us
differently (Brosseau, 2018).
Language proficiency also affects
immersion learners’ identity (Séror and
Weinberg, 2015). When we speak a second
language, native speakers judge us and
decide whether or not we are legitimate
members of their community, adding to
the complexity of the identity problem.
The round table
At the round table on linguistic identity,
all of the concepts discussed in this article
surfaced repeatedly in the comments of
the four participants. They spoke of their
immersive experiences and how their
identity had evolved through school, work
and social encounters. The question was
put to them: How do you define yourself
linguistically? The overwhelming response
was that they strongly rejected all
labelling. Labels carry connotations, and
even those given with the best intentions
can actually have the adverse effect of
creating distance, or worse, exclusion,
from the French-speaking community.
It appears that the terms francophone
and francophile carry different meanings
depending on who assigns them or
receives them.
All participants mentioned tensions
surrounding their own linguistic identity
and their relationship to French. Through
family and school, they took advantage of
formal and informal learning opportunities
that gave them access to the Frenchspeaking
world. Over time, they gained
self-confidence. Their experience as
immersion students made them aware
that their identity had been transformed
and that they were ready to engage with
francophones. These participants now say
that they consider French as part of their
identity, in an inextricable way, beyond the
labels of francophone or francophile. One
of them said:
[RIF] gave me the confidence and
tenacity to keep trying. I can draw a
very straight although wiggly line from
the immersion program to my job right
now. I had a microcosm of that in
the immersion program or through the
immersion program, and that has had
a big influence on me. I’m now neither
francophone nor anglophone; I am me.
You might ask how I, as a French
professor, would define FSL learners.
My answer is that I don’t really know.
All of these terms are labels; some have
political weight and can ignite fierce
reactions. FSL learners should just be
proud of the fact that they know another
language. It’s a gift.
When we learn a language, we
take on a new identity. We appropriate
its sounds and its culture and learn
something of the values and norms it
conveys. The round table participants
showed how integral French can be to
the identity of FSL learners. Whether
francophone or francophile, it is up
to lovers of the language to adopt all
learners of French and to embrace all
those who identify with its culture.
This is in keeping with the vision of
Tahar Ben Jelloun, a French-language
Moroccan writer, who speaks eloquently
of the richness of knowing multiple
languages:
C'est mieux qu'un simple mélange ;
c'est du métissage, comme deux
tissus, deux couleurs qui composent
une étreinte d'un amour infini.
(It's better than a simple concoction;
it's a blending of two fabrics, two
colours in a embrace of infinite love).
(Le Monde diplomatique,
2003, p. 20). n
To see the complete list
of references, please
visit cpf.ca
1. To read more on the subject: Buchanan, C. E. (2018) (Re)Shaping Identities : The impact of higher education immersion on students’
sense of identity. In Knoerr, H., Weinberg, A. & Buchanan, C. E. Enjeux actuels de l'immersion universitaire / Current Issues in University
Immersion. (153-174). Montréal : Marquis
2. French Immersion Stream
3. « Madame, mais vous ne vous attendez certainement pas à ce qu’on vous considère Francophone. Francophile, oui, mais vous n’êtes
pas Francophone ». À ses yeux, dans un contexte franco-dominant, je n’avais pas le droit de me dire Francophone.
4 CPF MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

CPF TECH & MEDIA
>in French!
For those winter days when it’s hard to go out or simply when you want to stay cozy
at home, many Canadian museums offer virtual tours in both English and French!
Not only are these museums fun and interesting, they provide a great resource to
experience French outside of the classroom, right at your fingertips.
Royal Ontario Museum – Toronto, ON
Canada’s largest museum and home to a collection of more than 13 million artworks,
cultural objects, and natural history specimens. You can take a virtual tour through
‘Google Art Project’ which lets you explore the different exhibition spaces and also offers
online exhibitions. While most of the museum tour is in English, the museum’s website
is fully bilingual and provides explanations in French about the current exhibits and galleries.
www.rom.on.ca/en/exhibitions-galleries/exhibitions/online-exhibits
Canadian Museum of History – Canadian History Hall /
Salle de l’histoire canadienne – Gatineau, QC
The Canadian Museum of History is Canada’s most visited museum and one of its oldest
public institutions. The museum has 25,000 square metres of display space that highlight
the country’s history and of mankind. Through their virtual gallery you can explore in both
French and English the “Canadian History Hall” which opened in 2017 for Canada’s 150th
anniversary. It encompasses 3 galleries dedicated to Canadian history from its early days
to our modern era. www.museedelhistoire.ca/salle-de-lhistoire/visite-virtuelle
Canadian Museum of War – Ottawa, ON
Canada’s museum of military history in the nation’s capital has exhibitions that cover all
of Canada’s involvement in historic military past, and the role it has played in the world.
Besides having permanent galleries, the museum has special exhibitions throughout the
year, many of which are available online! Head over to this virtual tour whether you
want to learn about Canada’s role in the First World War, its naval history, or simply
the chronology of the country’s military history. Fully bilingual.
www.museedelaguerre.ca/expositions/expositions-en-ligne
Virtual Museum of Canada
The Virtual Museum of Canada is a federally funded program managed by the
Canadian Museum of History that is working to build digital capacity in Canadian
museums and lets Canadians access different exhibitions across the country. This
museum has a great selection of exhibitions ranging from arts, history, nature, science,
among many more topics from different cities around the country. Fully bilingual.
www.museevirtuel.ca/virtual-exhibits/type/expositions-virtuelles
CPF MAGAZINE WINTER 2020 5

CPF RESEARCH
SUMMARY OF
The State of FSL Education
in Canada 2019 Report
In October, CPF launched the 2019
edition of its research series “The State
of French Second Language Education
in Canada Focus on FSL Programs”, this
was the third installment of the series
after Focus on FSL students (2017) and
Focus on FSL teachers (2018).
The 2019 edition offers a review
of current FSL education literature
conducted by Stephanie Arnott and
Mimi Masson to identify key research
findings by FSL program and provide
insight into pedagogical hallmarks and
potential lessons that can be learned
from studies across different programs.
Key themes that are described include
literacy instruction, grammar instruction
and inclusive practices. Particular
attention was paid to research in core
French contexts, especially areas where
innovations could inform other FSL
programs, such as French immersion. Two
such areas were: arts-based instruction
and instructional experimentation.
Given that the three FSL programs
with the most amount of students are
core French, intensive French, and
French immersion, the report also
includes articles for each of them in
an ‘interview’ format with researchers
from each program:
n Focus on Core French:
Sharon Lapkin and Stephanie Arnott
underline the need to infuse new life
into core French programs, calling for a
‘revolution’ entailing a reconsideration
of student motivation and alternative
distributions of instructional time for
this FSL program that serves most
Canadian students.
n Focus on intensive French:
Wendy Carr reviews the history and
successes of intensive French programs,
emphasizing how a literacy-based
approach along with some intensity
of instructional time can provide a
solid foundation for bilingualism.
6 CPF MAGAZINE WINTER 2020
BY CPF NATIONAL RESEARCH SUPPORT WORKING GROUP
n Focus on French immersion:
Roy Lyster highlights findings from an
extensive review of French immersion
programs, pointing out strengths and
areas for improvement identified
through research. He summarizes
his ‘counterbalanced approach’ to
immersion instruction and outlines
three key ingredients for successful
FSL programs.
Also in this report, an update
shares how the Diplôme d’études en
langue française (DELF) is being used
across Canada as a common standard
for describing and measuring French
proficiency across FSL programs. A list
of recently published documents for
further reading was gathered including
publications from the Council of Ministers
of Education of Canada.
With this report, CPF wants to inform
decision makers, federal and provincial/
territorial authorities on the importance
The 2019 report takes an
in-depth look at contemporary
FSL research findings with a
focus on the evolution of core
French, French immersion and
intensive French as well as
trends in literacy instruction,
grammar instruction, and
inclusive practices.
of equality of access for all students
wishing to enroll in FSL programs and
reinforce the role of education leaders,
school jurisdictions and the government
in assuring student achievement in French
as a second language programs.
The CPF recommendations include
investments in official language research
such as studying various delivery
models, programmatic innovations and
pedagogical strategies, in supporting
preservice and inservice teacher
education, and funding official language
proficiency assessment practices such
as DELF testing.
We encourage our members to
use this report to continue optimizing
our credibility as a research-informed
organization and also by influencing
the FSL research agenda with factual
information. To download a copy of
the report, visit cpf.ca n

Parents as
Multilingual
Experts
Leveraging families’ cultural and
linguistic assets in the classroom
BY DR. GAIL PRASAD
Reprinted with permission of Education Canada. First published in
December 2017, Vol. 57 (4) – https://www.edcan.ca
Linguistic diversity has become a defining feature of Canadian
classrooms today. Multilingual students, who speak different
languages at home and at school, have become the norm
rather than the exception, particularly in major urban centres.
Take the Toronto District School Board and the Vancouver School
Board: they both report over 120 languages spoken by their
students and their families. It’s not uncommon for teachers today
to have classes filled with students who speak many different
languages at home. At a time when people are constantly on
the go and technology makes it relatively easy to communicate
around the globe 24/7, researchers have observed that children
navigate their different language and literacy practices with
natural ease; they have grown up in a world that depends
on flexible language and literacy practices. Many teachers,
however, don’t share students’ diverse linguistic backgrounds or
experiences with growing up in a digitally mediated world. And
teacher preparation programs often offer little required work with
English learners and their families. Yet as classroom populations
continue to diversify, the need to develop inclusive multilingual
pedagogies also grows.
Are there ways to bridge this divide? How can teachers draw
on students’ diverse cultural assets and build on the linguistic
expertise that students bring into today’s classrooms, rather than
constraining it? Surely, all students should leave school with more
expansive linguistic repertoires rather than losing their home
languages in the process of acquiring the language of instruction.
Further, how can teachers engage parents in their children’s
language and literacy development if parents don’t speak the
language of instruction? Teachers, naturally, don’t speak all
of their students’ home languages!
Multilingual learning
Dr. Jim Cummins has advocated that teachers engage
multilingual students in the creation of what he calls “identity
texts”: students are encouraged to use their home languages
and cultural understanding alongside the language of instruction
to produce multimodal texts for academic purposes that reflect
students’ identities in positive ways. [1] Over the past decade,
researchers and teachers across the country have been putting
this idea into practice through the creation of a range of
continued . . .
WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. JOIN THE CONVERSATION @EDCANPUB #EDCAN !
CPF MAGAZINE WINTER 2020 7

dual-language books, documentaries, installation art exhibits
and dramatic performances.
Beyond the ESL classroom, identity text work can offer
mainstream teachers a powerful strategy for building all students’
appreciation of linguistic diversity and for leveraging students’ and
their families’ multilingual literacy expertise. Over the past seven
years, I have collaborated with classroom teachers across English
and French schools in Canada, France and the U.S. to explore
the affordances, challenges and outcomes of engaging students
collaboratively in multilingual project-based learning (MPBL). Most
recently, I’ve partnered with elementary teachers in Toronto in
English, French immersion and French language schools, as well
as a private school, to design and implement MPBL across content
areas such as social studies and science. [2] Over a two-year period,
we worked with children in Grades 4-6 to produce collaborative
multimodal and multilingual books using English, French and
students’ home languages. Examples of students’ work can be
seen on the project website: www.iamplurilingual.com.
Across these school partnerships, five principles emerged
that can guide teachers and administrators seeking to cultivate a
multilingual orientation and to design collaborative multilingual
inquiry projects to enhance learning and to build social
understanding of linguistic diversity:
1
Draw
2
Invite
3
Group
on the diverse languages of the school community, including
but not limited to incorporating students’ home languages, local
Indigenous languages, and the language(s) of instruction. Even
if your student population does not include many speakers of
other languages, teachers can always incorporate Canada’s official
languages – English and French – local Indigenous languages
and other languages represented across the wider community.
Investigate language resources in your community so you can
cultivate a rich language ecology in your classroom.
parents, families and community members to contribute their
language and cultural expertise to help students bridge diverse
home, school and community language and literacy practices. Parents,
grandparents and other family members may be hesitant to volunteer
in a school where they don’t speak the language of the classroom. Invite
them in to share their languages and experience as multilingual role
models, not only for their children but also for the entire class.
students of different language backgrounds to work
collaboratively on content-based projects, as a context for
developing language and literacy skills along with content
knowledge and understanding. While having students who
speak different languages work together may seem counterproductive
at first, keep in mind that the goal is not that they
become fluent in all of the languages represented, but rather to
develop a welcoming curiosity about languages and one another.
4
Build
5
Publish
students’ metalinguistic awareness explicitly by actively
comparing different languages and how language(s) function, and
identifying patterns for cross-linguistic transfer. Draw students’
attention to how languages work and how they are related. Bridge
from what students already know in their home and community
languages to the language of instruction.
collaborative multilingual projects for authentic audiences
through an end-of-project celebration, and through the use of
technology to reach broader audiences. Celebrate students as creative,
multilingual producers rather than consumers. Plug into other schools,
community groups and families to share the multilingual work that
students generate to extend it beyond your classroom and to receive
feedback and inspiration to keep on.
Students’ reflections about themselves and their work speak to
the importance of inviting students’ languages into the classroom.
One student said about her group’s multilingual book, “No one
knew I can speak Swahili before. It’s like now they know me for
real.” Another student commented, “My work makes me feel
original. I am the only person in the class who can read and write
these three languages and that makes me special.” And yet another
student remarked, “Before this project, I never liked reading and
writing. Now I think I like it!” These powerful identity statements
highlight how supporting students’ use of their home languages
within the classroom increases their engagement; consequently,
they produce high-quality work in which they take pride.
Engaging parents
Beyond the students’ positive responses, teachers consistently
report that doing multilingual work with students shifts
how they see culturally and linguistically diverse parents.
MPBL creates an authentic opportunity to invite parents into
the classroom and the school as language and literacy experts.
This positioning of multilingual parents as having valuable
language expertise allows parents who might otherwise feel
marginalized because they don’t speak the language of the
classroom, to feel welcome into the school. Furthermore, when
teachers host celebration events to present students’ multilingual
work to their families, teachers have noted that they have greater
turnout and that in many cases, parents and extended family
members have come to the school for the very first time. As
one teacher explained, in reference to newcomer families:
“ I’ve seen a greater confidence of parents in school… the fact
that we valued their home language and culture within our
French class allowed parents to be involved in the learning of
French in some way. Even if it may seem paradoxical, the fact
that we purposefully drew on their family’s language created a
reassuring context for engaging in learning. They knew that we
were not trying to exclude their culture or their identity.”
8 CPF MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

In my interviews with parents, I’ve found myself surprised by
parents’ expressions of appreciation that the school affirmed to
their child the value of their family’s home language and culture
through MPBL. The sense that has emerged is that MPBL builds
reciprocal relationships among teachers and families. One mother,
for example, who had compared trying to get her daughter to
learn Farsi to forcing her to eat her vegetables, recounted:
“[My daughters] weren’t curious about this ‘other’ language
for a long time and the writing the translation in Farsi was a
good thing and [my daughter] was happy that I could actually
do it for her… it kind of opened up the door a little bit. Like
she now thinks she’s more interested in the language.”
When schools affirm students’ home languages and cultures,
parents become language and literacy experts in the eyes of their
children, and multilingual parents are empowered to actively
participate in their child’s learning at school and at home.
Another parent further explained how valuable it is for parents
to have their children’s home languages affirmed by the school:
“ I think the project has been good for [my daughter] because I
think sometimes you need to mirror back to a child what they
have… It hasn’t been apparent to them as a gift possibly and
so having the school… pay attention to that is a way of saying
to them, ‘You guys have gifts! [It’s] a really lucky thing that you
have access to another language!’ It’s also powerful when it
comes from teachers… As a parent when you hold the mirror up
to your child to say, ‘This is the wonderful gifted person I see you
are,’ it’s like, ‘Whatever, Mom.’ I think [kids] dismiss it. I think
they’re pleased on one level but you as a parent sometimes
don’t have as much weight. But when an external person
validates that, it gives them a level of thoughtfulness about
themselves that they don’t necessarily get when it’s just a
parent mirroring back… When it’s valued elsewhere it’s a
solid reinforcement!”
My current research investigates MPBL as a school-wide
strategy for building multilingual language awareness and
intercultural understanding with a local elementary school in
Madison, Wisconsin. In this work, parents’ reflections about
their children’s collaborative multilingual work continue to
affirm that teachers and parents must be partners in raising
children to become thoughtfully engaged citizens in our diverse
world. In closing, listen to the responses of parents following
the creation of multilingual class books with five Grade 1
classes as part of a science unit about plants:
“I was so pleased with the book I was almost brought to tears.
Particularly considering the xenophobia in our culture today, it’s
a wonderful way to promote the inclusion of different languages
and cultures. Thank you!”
“I think it was great to have [children] working on something together.
This book is definitely something we will keep and reflect back on and
share with other family members.”
“We wished we could have contributed with a foreign language of
our own! [ Our son] can recognize the different languages (mostly)
on sight. He was very proud of being able to say a few sentences
in Arabic.”
“My sense is that seeing… languages together in the book gives
children the visual reminder of other classmates’ perspective. This
project seems original, creative and useful!”
Around the world where racial, linguistic, religious and political
differences threaten to divide communities, the need to build bridges
among teachers, students and families from diverse backgrounds is
critical. Affirming and leveraging students’ cultural and linguistic assets
helps move towards building more inclusive schools and gives students
an opportunity to learn how to work together across their differences,
within the microcosm of their classrooms. n
This parent’s reflection highlights that MPBL can forge
mutually beneficial relationships among teachers, students
and parents that multiply opportunities to affirm children’s
identities as they integrate creatively their home and school
language and literacy practices.
[1] J. Cummins and M. Early, Identity Texts: The collaborative creation of power in multilingual schools (London: Trentham, 2001).
[2] This research was generously supported by a Joseph Armand-Bombardier Canada Graduate scholarship (2010-2013) from the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council.
CPF MAGAZINE WINTER 2020 9

Celebrating
40 Years of
Canadian Parents for French
SASKATCHEWAN
BY KAREN POZNIAK, BRANCH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
In August 2019, Canadian Parents for French Saskatchewan
formally celebrated its 40th anniversary with a President's
Reception. Supporters gathered for an evening of music and
camaraderie. The mood was light and friendly, the hors d'oeuvres
were plentiful and delicious, the beverages were refreshing, and the
crowd mixed and mingled and shared stories. What a lovely evening
it turned out to be!
Janet Loseth, the incoming Branch Board President, welcomed
the guests by saying, “We are immensely pleased to see so many
people here. There are representatives from government attending
and from our Francophone partners. There are current and former
members present. Hélène Grimard, our Volunteer of the Year
recipient for 2018-2019, is here. For a period of time which spans
36 years, Hélène has been a judge at the Provincial Final of Concours
d'art oratoire. She is a shining example of our greatly appreciated
volunteers. We would never have gotten to this milestone, the
40th anniversary, without the Hélène's of this world ... the many,
many, many dedicated volunteers, staff, partners, supporters,
funders, who helped to get us to this day."
The Honourable Gordon Wyant, Deputy Premier and Minister
of Education, could not attend but did prepare a letter which
Ms. Loseth read out to the crowd. In part, his comments included,
"On behalf of the Government of Saskatchewan, I would like to
commend Canadian Parents for French (CPF) Saskatchewan on
celebrating 40 years of furthering bi- and multilingualism in our province
and country. The opportunities provided by your organization
to not only Saskatchewan's youth, but all citizens of this country, is a
beaming indication of the cultural growth and diversified success of all
those who call Canada home. After four decades, CPF Saskatchewan
can proudly assert that they have done an outstanding job in supporting
our students and citizens as they learn the French language."
Derrek Bentley, Vice-President of the National Board of
Directors, brought greetings on behalf of Canadian Parents for
French. National Board Director Richard Slevinsky also attended.
Kelly Block (Conservative Member of Parliament for Carlton Trail -
Eagle Creek) and Sheri Benson (New Democratic Member of
Parliament for Saskatoon West, at the time) spoke to the contributions
made and the role the organization has and is playing in
fostering support for official bilingualism. Ms. Benson presented
Ms. Loseth with a framed commemorative certificate.
Denis Simard, President of the Board of Directors of
l’Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise, congratulated the
volunteers and staff, and remarked, in part, "Canadian Parents for
French has played one of the most significant roles in changing
attitudes, influencing decision makers and molding public opinion
facing our bilingualism."
In conclusion, Ms. Loseth added, "For 40 years, Canadian
Parents for French Saskatchewan has been an informed and
passionate advocate for all who value Canada's official bilingualism.
The organization has used solid research to educate the populationat-large
about the value of bilingualism within the multilingual and
multicultural tapestry that is Canada."
After the program, guests stayed and continued to enjoy the
musical styling of Crestwood, the food and the company. n
10 CPF MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

“
The efforts of CPF Saskatchewan truly do help to bring
a positive change to our communities as we come
together to broaden our linguistic opportunities. I would
like to applaud you for your on-going and dedicated
work in supporting the French language in our great
province, and Canada as a whole. Best wishes for a fun
and exciting event, and congratulations on 40 years
of excellence.
”
The Honourable Gordon Wyant, Deputy Premier and Minister of Education,
Government of Saskatchewan
CPF MAGAZINE WINTER 2020 11

CPF EVENTS
Officially
A Conference Marking
50 Years of Linguistic Duality
and Education in Canada
Je suis fier d’être un canadien bilingue
BY GORDON CAMPBELL WINNIPEG, MB
I was fortunate to be invited to speak at this conference held in Gatineau, November 21-13, 2019, co-hosted by the Association for
Canadian Studies, Canadian Parents for French and the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages. The event brought together
different public sectors involved and concerned with Canada’s two official languages.
It was a unique opportunity where, not only educators, but civil servants, policy writers, university students and researchers were able
to speak together about Canada’s linguistic duality, Canadian perceptions about language learning and official language bilingualism.
DAY 1 The first day of the conference started with a keynote
presentation by Matthew Hayday, history professor at the
University of Guelph, who started by saying that he was also
present 10 years ago at the 40th anniversary of the Official
Languages Act and added that “so little has changed in
regards to second language education”.
Hayday noted the main challenge for immersion education
is finding qualified, trained, bilingual teachers – those who
have an understanding of immersion and second language
pedagogy, are knowledgeable about the subject matter they
are teaching and are also able to speak French fluently.
Prof. Hayday emphasized that research points to the fact
that students can learn in an immersion program to the same
extent that students can learn in an English program, but that
adequate support and resources need to be in place to support
struggling learners. If adequate supports are not provided,
teachers will struggle to accommodate all learners, students
will leave the program and the myth perpetuates itself.
12 CPF MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

CPF EVENTS
Nancy McKeraghan, CPF National President
Prof. Hayday also spoke about
what it means to be bilingual and
how Canadians in different parts of the
country view bilingualism. Definitions are
changing. In some instances the word
Francophone now is meant to include
all people who speak French and or live
in the French culture. This brought an
interesting perspective to the ensuing
discussions. As someone who does not
speak French as a first language, can one
or does one consider themselves to be
Francophone?
One participant working in Quebec
identified as a Franco-Ontarian. French
was her first language. She felt that
although she was perfectly bilingual
and working in Quebec, she was still not
integrated into Quebec’s society and
culture. She was proud of her “identité
de francophone minoritaire” and hopes
that in speaking to people in Quebec
they grow to realize that there are many
Francophone people living outside the
province who speak French as their
primary language of communication.
DAY 2 The keynote speaker,
multi-disciplinary Franco-Ontarian
artist/musician Yao, born in Ivory Coast,
informed us that the largest French
speaking city in the world is now Kinshasa
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He stated that when he is in Africa, he
identifies simply as a man. In North
America he first identifies as a black man,
then as a black man from Ontario who
speaks both French and English. Labelling
who we are becomes an issue, but as
language learners, identity is an issue. One
Indigenous participant reminded us of our
euro-centric viewpoints, and that both
English and French were the languages
of colonizers. The Official Languages Act
does not consider indigenous languages,
although we are beginning to accept
and appreciate the importance of these
languages to the Canadian mosaic. We
speak about a linguistic duality, but there
are so many perspectives and definitions
that we need to broaden our understanding
of the plurality that is Canada.
DAY 3 This day began with a viewing
of parts of the film “Bi” a Radio-Canada
documentary about bilingualism in our
country. Although about bilingualism,
the film could not be made bilingually,
or even sub-titled in English, because
Radio-Canada would not fund the project
if there was too much English content.
Yao also referred to this challenge in
the artistic community. If a French
artist works with an English artist and
there is too much English content then
funding is not available to support
the project.
Media personality Tasha Kheiriddin,
reinforced the idea of the two solitudes
within the journalism profession
in Canada, with very few journalists
understanding and working in both
English and French. Producers are
often not interested in looking at
projects from outside of the majority
culture.
The film pointed out some of
the challenges in immersion education,
but unfortunately did not look at the
many positive stories from across the
country, where a young population of
immersion students are changing the
definition of what it means to be
bilingual in Canada. I felt the film,
although raising many significant
issues with regards to bilingualism,
immersion education and identity,
lacked a perspective from Western
Canada, particularly Manitoba and its
many successful immersion programs.
In a panel discussion following
the film, Graham Fraser, former
Commissioner for Official Languages,
spoke about the success of the French
immersion program, but also about
the challenges of immersion educators
responding to the needs of all children.
I asked him if he was familiar with Tara
Fortune’s work “Struggling Learners and
Language Immersion Education”, an
excellent resource for all educators
which dispels so many myths about
second or additional language learning.
French immersion educators must
work diligently to dispel myths about
immersion education and advocate for
increased supports to help all students
with their learning.
I am grateful to have had the
opportunity to be part of such dynamic
and relevant discussions about
bilingualism, identity and Canada’s
linguistic duality/plurality.
“ Si on me donnait un seul vœu, ce serait
de parler toutes les langues qui existent
et qui ont existé à travers les années.
Juste à cause de la richesse culturelle
que tu pourrais acquérir. »
– Yaovi Hoyi (Yao)
CPF MAGAZINE WINTER 2020 13

CPF EVENTS
Didn’t We Learn This Already?
Fifty Years of Official Languages, Bilingualism and Education
BY MATTHEW HAYDAY UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH | MHAYDAY@UOGUELPH.CA | TWITTER: @MHAYDAY
Matthew Hayday
PRESENTATION NOTES
u In preparing my notes for my talk this morning, I realized
that had spoken at a similar conference organized by the
Association for Canadian Studies ten years ago, on the
occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Official Languages.
u I am a historian who has studied official languages,
bilingualism, and second language learning in Canada
over the past twenty years, and it absolutely gob-smacks
me that so little progress is made on some of these fronts,
and how much we see repeating from the past.
u Which is what inspired the title of my talk: Didn’t we learn
this already?
New Threats and Opportunities
u We are facing a deeply fragmented landscape at the
provincial level when it comes to the questions of
bilingualism and FSL and the will of provincial
governments to take positive initiatives.
u Recall that when it comes to polling data, Canadians
tend to be most open on this issue of language learning
opportunities for children – when it comes to the scope
of various language-related services – things get more
difficult as you progress into other sectors, and to services
that are more explicitly targeted at francophones alone.
Where Do We Go from Here?
u A large part of the work for organizations like CPF and the
OCOL, and the many francophone associations across
the country is going to have to be about protecting what
programs and rights currently exist against hostile regimes.
u The short-term challenge is going to be to maintain pressure
on Ottawa to continue its funding and advocacy role in this
sector, much as we might have hoped that the provinces
would have fully taken this on decades ago.
u The longer-term challenge is to address the issue of bringing
the mass of English-speaking Canadians – not just French
immersion parents – back around to the perspective that
second-language learning for themselves, and two official
languages for the country as a whole is an asset for them
personally and the country
u Currently, there is clearly a demand – and one that goes well
beyond government-based jobs – for people with language
skills – in both French and other languages.
u The challenge is conveying to Canadians the idea that learning a
second language isn’t just something that you do if you want to
work for the federal government or teach – but that it will have
a much wider-based applicability and usefulness in their lives.
u I think it’s important to realize that the context in which we are
living has changed in some substantive ways from when the
official languages regime was created and stabilized. n
14 CPF MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

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WAYS
5TO ACHIEVE TOTAL
IMMERSION IN A
LANGUAGE WITHOUT
LEAVING YOUR HOUSE
BY BRANDON DERIGGS ORGANIZATIONAL CONSULTANT, WRITER AND AUTHOR
We all know that the best way to learn a new language is to immerse ourselves in it. But going
back to school or traveling to a foreign country isn’t always possible. Here are five surefire ways
to help you learn French or English without having to leave the comfort of your home.
1
Change all your technology
settings to French or English
Standard ways of learning a language
include going to a classroom, getting a
tutor, and doing a bunch of drills and exercises. In other
words, it usually requires some form of repetition and
practice. In reality, most people tap out after a few hours
of study, since studying is not exactly an activity they can
do the entire day. You can, however, switch your smartphone,
TV or computer settings to French or English and devote an
entire day to using these devices in your second language.
That means every time you look at your screens and interact
with them, you’re building new language muscles with the
neurons in your brain in a manner that requires your utmost
attention. Now, what was second nature, such as sending an
email or text, browsing the web, or watching your favorite
TV show, begins to require a concentrated effort to formulate
and understand words.
2
Listen to songs in your
target language
Most people listen to music, as it is one of the
simple pleasures of life. It can change one’s
mood and act as a bridge of communication between different
cultures. To have a fully immersive experience, only listen to
songs in your target language (French or English). You may not
understand the words being sung, but you’ll feel the emotion.
Later, you can look up the translated lyrics and keep repeating
the process.
3
Listen to a radio station in
your target language
Is there a radio station you like to listen to? What
about a French or English radio station? Try listening
in your target language as you go about doing your daily chores
and tasks. You may not catch every word, but you’re subconsciously
absorbing all the new information. Certain words,
certain sounds, certain feelings will pop up, and you’ll be able to
make associations. As your knowledge of your target language
grows, you’ll make more associations, because you’ve heard a
word before but now it has meaning.
16 CPF MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

4
Read books in French
or English
Read books in your target language.
Depending on your ability, you can read
anything from children’s books to full-length novels. Books tell
stories. Stories have emotional, meaningful events that allow
them to be memorable to us. When you experience stories in
a new language, you’ll have an easier time recollecting your
vocabulary because of the events associated with the words.
With these five methods, you’ll be well on
your way to speaking French or English with
ease and without having to leave your house.
How about you? Are you trying to learn, or
have you learned, a new language? If so, do
you have any tips or strategies that you’d
like to share?
5
Speak out loud
to yourself
Speak out loud to yourself if there’s no one
to practise with. When people move to
foreign countries, they have to speak in order to accomplish
anything. If you’re at home watching a show or movie, reading
a book, or listening to music, and you hear or read a phrase
that you like, try repeating it and using it in as many contexts
as possible. The next time you’re able to speak to a native
speaker, try it on them and see what happens! n
The article was first published on April 29, 2019, in the Language Portal of Canada’s Our
Languages blog. A Translation Bureau initiative, the Language Portal provides Canadians
with a wide range of resources to help them communicate more effectively in English and
French, and publishes weekly articles by language lovers on the Our Languages Blog.
www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/en/blogue-blog/
immersion-a-la-maison-immersion-in-your-house-eng
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CPF MAGAZINE WINTER 2020 17

CPF RESOURCES
My Experience with Encounters with Canada
BY EMILY BANCROFT
Looking for an amazing, one week trip to the nation’s capital, to explore potential
career options, try new things, with kids aged 14-17, from coast to coast to coast,
for under $1000? Then Encounters with Canada, Canada’s largest youth forum,
located in Ottawa, Ontario, is the place for you. I knew that once I heard about the
program, from my high school in Delta, British Columbia, I had to apply!
What better way to get out of your comfort zone and meet new people than with
this program. As an aspiring journalist, looking to get a degree in communications, I
chose the week of “Media and Communications”, to further my understanding of the
field and learn if I am truly interested in pursuing this career. When I arrived at the
Vancouver airport on Saturday morning, I was alone and nervous to start my week.
In less than an hour of waiting to take off, I had made 15 new friends from my own
province, who were equally excited to begin the adventure. By Sunday night, I had
gotten around to knowing the name of a vast majority of the people here and learning
more about the culture outside of the west coast. Growing up just outside of a big city
like Vancouver, I am used to the hustle and bustle of downtown Ottawa. It was such
a cool experience to be with kids who had never had the exposure of being in a city as
fast-paced and exciting as this one. Each person that walks through the doors of the
Historica Canada Centre has their own story to share, and by learning more about others,
you begin to appreciate even more the beautiful country of Canada.
In addition to the wonderful people at Encounters, we get the opportunity to
participate in many cultural and theme-specific activities, meaning that the activities
you do will correspond to the week you selected during the application. For my media
and communications week, we were involved in many social games and activities. My
personal highlights were attending a youth summit on violent extremism online, which
took place at the Hilton in Gatineau, Québec, and creating a professional web video at
the CBC radio headquarters in Montréal, Québec.
These 2 programs and workshops gave me the chance to challenge myself as an
individual. While at the conference, I had the opportunity to discuss my opinions and
ideas on how hate speech and negative comments influence our views on the world.
Cyber bullying is a very relevant problem in this generation, and we are always looking
for new ways to prevent it. At the summit, I was able to talk about how I think we should
address such issues, with professionals who are looking for a teen’s perspective. At CBC
radio, I opted to participate in an all-French workshop, because I am a French immersion
bilingual student, and am always looking for new ways to practice my second language.
This was very challenging for me, as my French is strong in a classroom, but not so much
in a less formal and more conversational setting. Throughout the day, I became more
comfortable with my own speech, and I picked up a thing or two, as most of my group
was from Québec. These 2 activities were so amazing to be a part of, and I would have
probably never had the option to do either had it not been for Encounters.
I left Ottawa with nothing but positive memories, new friendships and the
reassurance that journalism and communications is the thing for me. We live in the best
country in the world, and I have never been more proud to be Canadian! n
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KEY CPF CONTACTS ACROSS CANADA
National office
1104 - 170 Laurier Ave. W., Ottawa, ON K1P 5V5
T: 613.235.1481
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British Columbia & Yukon
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T: 778.329.9115 TF: 1.800.665.1222 (in BC & Yukon only)
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Alberta
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T: 780.433.7311
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Northwest Territories
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Saskatchewan
303-115 2nd Ave. N., Saskatoon, SK S7K 2B1
T: 306.244.6151 TF: 1.800.561.6151 (in Saskatchewan only)
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Manitoba
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T: 204.222.6537 TF: 1.877.737.7036 (in Manitoba only)
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Ontario
103-2055 Dundas St. E., Mississauga, ON L4X 1M2
T: 905.366.1012 TF: 1.800.667.0594 (in Ontario only)
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Prince Edward Island
PO Box 2785, Charlottetown, PE CIA 8C4
T: 902.368.3703 glecky@cpfpei.pe.ca pei.cpf.ca
Newfoundland & Labrador
PO Box 8601, Stn A, St. John’s, NL A1B 3P2
T: 709.579.1776 ed@cpfnl.ca nl.cpf.ca
TF: 1.877.576.1776 (in Newfoundland & Labrador only)
February 3-7, 2020
50:50
French-Second-Language
Education Week
50 years of French
immersion/ans
d'immersion française
50 years of the Official
Languages Act/ans de la Loi
sur les langues officielles
20 CPF MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

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The method that decodes the language.
read.
write.
speak
understand
lire.
écrire.
parler
comprendre