I think being bilingual is one of the most enduring characteristics one can have. Phil is bilingual, Alex is bilingual, Sarah, Gemma, and Monic are all bilingual. Moe is fluently trilingual. Yet so many people actively reject the notion of bilingualism both in school and later on as adults. Its so hard to get people to want to learn another language, especially when its forced upon them. I saw it in Canada, and I see it in Japan.Thats one of the reasons I think that JET is a good program. We are in the class to motivate students to want to learn English, make it fun, and take away some of the more serious aspects of education. If you're having fun, then you are more likely to learn, right? Well at least I think so.
That's why I think JET is a very unique policy instrument. Having natural language speakers come into local classrooms provides an awesome degree of internationalisation and exposure to cultures you're trying to learn about. For example, tomorrow I will be talking about the differences between Japanese and Canadian houses. Do I know all the differences? Hell no! But at least I can give the students my POV about what some of the more noticeable differences are (on a side note, the kids were absolutely flabbergasted that I had a pool in my backyard and two bathrooms in my house).
This is why I think Canada should also initiate some sort of exchange between English and French speaking Canada. For communities outside the larger cities, it has GOT to be difficult to attract qualified French/English teachers, yet students are still educated in that language. Is education in a second language even useful if the teacher teaching it isn't qualified, doesnt know how actual communication takes place or can only speak very basic French or English? By providing a 6 month or year long exchange between French speakers to English Canada, and vice versa, I think we would be able to greatly increase national unity and a common understand between our great cultures. Pay the teachers well, to attract them. Give them subsidized yet nice housing. Give them vacation time. These are all easy incentives to attract people recently out of university or in mid career who want to: A) explore their own country, B) take a bit of a break before starting on a career/refining their career or C) wish to spread bilingualism across Canada and make our country into what it claims to be - bilingual.
I'm interested in your comments on this... leave one on this post so I can see what you're thinking about the state of bilingualism in Canada.
If it can be done in Japan, then IT CAN BE DONE ANYWHERE!!
4 comments:
Umm ... it's been done. Well its not quite the same, but the 5 week intensive language program EXPLORE that I participated in, is the same principles. It's an exchange between Francophones/Anglophones within Canada and you are immersed in a completely Francophone (or Anglophone if you are doing the other program) culture and you are speaking the language on a daily basis with native speakers who make it fun and interesting.
ALSO, I think you are forgetting about French Immersion. Most of my friends and I went from JK to grades 8 doing it and some even continued on through high school. This not only grants you a certificate upon graduation but you are basically a fluent french speaker living in an anglo-part of Canada.
There are also other programs. For example, every summer, thousands of English-Canadian and Quebec students participate to an exchange program between the Government of Quebec and other provinces. One of my colleagues here at UQAM went to work for the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines in North Bay, Ontario this summer.
There is also the French Language Monitor program, now the Accent program, that is very similar to the JET program. I used to do what you're doing in Japan at the Henry Munro Middle School, in Ottawa.
But I definitely agree with you! There should be more opportunities for Francophones and Anglophones to put in practice what they have learned in school about their second language.
I forgot to mention: the French Language Monitor Program is in fact two programs - Full-time and part-time.
Full-time monitors are present in smaller cities. They get a better salary, and work full-time in schools in a specific locality. They are usually graduates and their tasks are similar to yours.
Part-time monitors are usually present in bigger cities. They work about 8 hours every week.
For more info: http://monaccent.ca/
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