In February 2014, the South East Regional French Language Network* offered a one-day training event for the bilingual staff of the MCSS and the MCYS and transfer payment agencies serving Kingston. The goal of the event was to support and encourage bilingual staff working within largely Anglophone organizations, some of whom are the only French-speaking staff members in their workplace.
The event was designed to strengthen their confidence in their job as bilingual professionals by providing them with tools and resources. It was an opportunity to engage and network for the 60 participants from various French-speaking social services organizations as well as OPS ministries and agencies.
The agenda for the learning sessions included discussions on bilingual customer service, an introduction to Antidote, online training resources in French and interactive group discussions focused on the health, justice and social services sectors. Following the event, a facilitator’s guide and toolkit were developed so that the event could be easily replicated in other communities.
The Honourable Mentions Series is a series of 11 blog posts that the Commissioner is releasing to individually recognize the leadership shown by government ministries and agencies that have made efforts to expand the delivery of high-quality French-language services, as listed in his 2013-2014 Annual Reporthere.
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)* is the reference framework used at the international level to describe the proficiency of learners of a second language, including French. It was designed to provide a transparent, coherent and comprehensive basis for the development of language syllabuses and curriculum guidelines, the design of teaching and learning materials, and the assessment of foreign language proficiency.
In the past four years, the CEFR has been deployed in Ontario’s 60 English-language school boards as a tool to inform planning, instruction and assessment practices in French-as-a-second-language (FSL) courses. This initiative represents a commitment to helping Core French, Extended French and French Immersion students to improve their functional French-language skills. In applying these international guidelines, the Ontario government is committed to
increasing student confidence, proficiency and achievement;
increasing the percentage of students studying FSL until graduation;
increasing student, educator, parent and community engagement in FSL.
This common framework of reference could also possibly be a good basis for discussion among governments and the private sector to develop a common basis of assessment of language skills, as opposed to everyone having different standards. To be followed.
The Honourable Mentions Series is a series of 11 blog posts that the Commissioner is releasing to individually recognize the leadership shown by government ministries and agencies that have made efforts to expand the delivery of high-quality French-language services, as listed in his 2013-2014 Annual Reporthere.
The Road Safety Marketing Office has made progress in reaching out to Francophone stakeholders. All grant funding applications are available in French, and a concerted effort to share them with Francophone stakeholders in all areas designated under the French Language Services Act has paid off, as it has allowed the Ministry of Transportation to create new partnerships with these stakeholders.
Several groups, including the “Club Optimiste de Vanier”, the “Club Optimiste de BFC”and Hawkesbury’s “Comitéd’action régionale de la sécuritéroutière”, have already taken advantage of funding for their respective road safety initiatives, Road Safety Challenge activities and upcoming seatbelt campaigns.
By partnering with Francophone stakeholders and communities, the Ministry supports their growth and inclusion through its service delivery approach.
The Honourable Mentions Series is a series of 11 blog posts that the Commissioner is releasing to individually recognize the leadership shown by government ministries and agencies that have made efforts to expand the delivery of high-quality French-language services, as listed in his 2013-2014 Annual ReportThe full list of honourable mentions and the relevant blog posts are available here.
On a monthly basis, the Waterloo Wellington LHIN holds a mental health “Café”for discussions and information-sharing on the management of mental health cases. The program has been expanded to include French-speaking psychologists and to make it accessible either in person or via telemedicine. The Cafénow invites members of the Francophone community to meet with a French-speaking psychologist to discuss various topics and share best practices when dealing with difficult situations or challenging cases. Although Waterloo Wellington is one of the fastest-growing and increasingly diverse regions in Ontario, it is not a designated area under the French Language Services Act.
The Honourable Mentions Series is a series of 11 blog posts that the Commissioner is releasing to individually recognize the leadership shown by government ministries and agencies that have made efforts to expand the delivery of high-quality French-language services, as listed in his 2013-2014 Annual Reporthere.
