French Classes - FREE???!!!

[Punktlich2]

Originally Posted by Auld Yin

In all of Canada, except Quebec and a few very small pockets in New Brunswick and Manitoba, English is the language of the masses. You would find it quite difficult to find someone in Toronto who speaks French on a day to day basis. You would have better luck finding someone to speak Mandarin/Cantonese, Punjabi, Spanish, Urdu etc, etc. Toronto is one of the world's great multi-cultural cities.

That is perfectly true except that tiny pockets exist all over Canada. More interesting (and the basis for my incident at Toronto's Pearson Int'l airport) is that one has the right to speak any of the official languages to civil authority. If you review the various provincial Web site portals you can see which offer French language interfaces. My understanding is that one may speak French in any federal court and several provincial ones.

The difference between French and, say, Urdu is that one may speak the former as a matter of right in a federal and several provincial public settings. Or in the armed forces.

I was recently in a government office in Sion, Valais, Switzerland. Valais is officially a bilingual canton, having a German-speaking minority. I asked whether every office had a German-speaking officer and was told that this was true. But the bilingualism is not to the extent of the Belgian practice of having a Flemish and a Walloon appointed to every position that might reasonably meet the public: featherbedding at the extreme.

None of that will help the OP however. What will help the OP is the politicisation of language in Canada. But unlike the Belgian model it does not seek to suppress the "other" language within a reserved territory and there is likelihood of subsidised adult education classes.

Interestingly, the language of communication between Flemish and Walloons in Belgium, and between French and German speakers in Switzerland, is largely English.
Faut-il encore apprendre l'allemand?
You see this too at important border towns in Quebec: Stanstead and Lacolle, for example.

[Alminka]

Originally Posted by Auld Yin

In general there are no free French classes for new immigrants to Canada. The only exception may be the Province of Quebec but even there it's probably on a limited basis.
There are French education classes available for small fee at many nightschools/colleges..

This is completely un-true. There are many very good French classes for new immigrants in ALL provinces of Canada, though probably only in major cities. And they are completely FREE. One only needs to pass language assessment to enroll in French class.

E.g., if you come to Ottawa, French classes for immigrants are taught here in 2 very nice schools - La Cite Collegiale and Le Carrefour - within LINC/CLIC program. All you need to be eligible is your immigrant status proof (PRC, or certificate of landing, etc.) and be in Permanent Resident status, i.e. within your first 3-4 years in Canada until you get your passport. Canadian citizens are not eligible, so you better use this great chance while you can!

Here you will find more information:

ESL - LINC classes in Ottawa - general info

Language Assessment and Resource Centre - LARC center where you can get your language assessment – for FREE

La Cité collégiale - Le collège francophone à Ottawa - LINC - Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada - French classes for immigrants at La Cite Collegiale – FREE

http://www.carrefour.cepeo.on.ca/Cli.../Default.aspx- French classes for immigrants at L’Ecole le Carrefour – FREE

Bonne chance! Vous avez une bonne chance pour étudier le français

[lonestar]

Originally Posted by Alminka

This is completely un-true. There are many very good French classes for new immigrants in ALL provinces of Canada, though probably only in major cities. And they are completely FREE. One only needs to pass language assessment to enroll in French class.

E.g., if you come to Ottawa, French classes for immigrants are taught here in 2 very nice schools - La Cite Collegiale and Le Carrefour - within LINC/CLIC program. All you need to be eligible is your immigrant status proof (PRC, or certificate of landing, etc.) and be in Permanent Resident status, i.e. within your first 3-4 years in Canada until you get your passport. Canadian citizens are not eligible, so you better use this great chance while you can!

Here you will find more information:

ESL - LINC classes in Ottawa - general info

Language Assessment and Resource Centre - LARC center where you can get your language assessment – for FREE

La Cité collégiale - Le collège francophone à Ottawa - LINC - Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada - French classes for immigrants at La Cite Collegiale – FREE

http://www.carrefour.cepeo.on.ca/Cli.../Default.aspx- French classes for immigrants at L’Ecole le Carrefour – FREE

Bonne chance! Vous avez une bonne chance pour étudier le français

Thank you so much Alminka. You were very encouraging and have great information.

[danielleduchesne]

Hey im an 18 year old kiwi girl who has moved to ottawa not long ago to study at the school of dance, and would love to meet some people ! and would like to know if there are any kiwis in ottawa
I would also love to take french classes but I am a canadian citizen..?