The CRESO Centre-Conseil en Emploi and the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent have launched a free and flexible community-based francization program designed to promote the inclusion of newcomers to the region.
The initiative stems from an observation on the part of CRESO employees that newcomers lacked access to French lessons in the Haut-Saint-Laurent, not because formal courses are not available, but because of practical obstacles such as transportation and conflicting work schedules.
The Entre Nous Autres program, which acts as a complement to the government-run francization lessons, is specifically aimed at immigrants living in one of the 13 municipalities of the MRC with a beginner or intermediate level of French. The initiative includes three hours of mainly online classes per week over a period of four months, ending in June. A first cohort started in early March with at least ten participants. A second cohort focusing on intermediate-level French speakers will take place later this year.
“The majority of immigrants throughout Quebec who do not speak French as their mother tongue face a language barrier, which is the first obstacle to integration,” said project coordinator Jean-Félix Poulin. “The project will also touch on Quebec culture, how things work, and how to use French in everyday situations in order to become more independent,” he explained.
The project is also designed to create a space where new people to the region can meet, build social ties, and reduce the negative feeling of isolation that is often experienced in rural areas. “Newcomers often arrive in large cities, such as Montreal or Quebec City. They already have people from their community who are grouped together, so when they arrive, it is easier to develop a network,” said Poulin, who notes that those who move to the regions often find themselves alone and without the benefit of a diaspora.
This explains the emphasis on social and community integration that is built into the program. “If you arrive with a work contract but have difficulty integrating into the local community, it can be hard to put down roots,” Poulin explained, while suggesting those who do not feel at home in their new community will often move on.
Poulin confirmed that interest in the program is high, with more registrations than places available for the first cohort. The participants come from various parts of the world, including several from Latin and Central America.
“The goal was to create a program that would allow people to put down roots in the area for the long term,” he said. “We targeted people who want to settle here, and who are not just passing through.”