Enhancement of Official Languages Program

Second-Language Learning component

The Second-Language Learning component of the Enhancement of Official Languages Program aims to improve programs and activities offered by provinces and territories for instruction of English and French as second official languages, and to increase the production and dissemination of knowledge and innovative methods and tools to support the teaching of a second language.

1. Objectives

2. Sub-components

3. Immediate outcomes

I. Objectives

The objectives of Second-Language Learning are:

• to assist provincial and territorial governments, directly or through the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, (CMEC) in providing English and French as second official languages instruction;
• to allow a greater number of Canadians at the post-secondary level to become full-time or part-time monitors of English or French as second official languages in the school system or at post-secondary institutions;
• to provide Canadians with the opportunity to use their knowledge of Canada's two official languages while working in an area related to their studies in as much as possible;
• to allow a greater number of Canadians to learn English or French as a second official language and to improve their language skills;
• to contribute to the research and dissemination of knowledge, methods and tools pertaining to the teaching of English and French as second official languages;
• to help increase the number of teachers of English and French as second official languages and to contribute to their professional development;
• to make learning English and French as second official languages a culturally and socially rewarding experience.

II. Sub-components

This component of the program provides for the Government of Canada to contribute to the provision of programs or activities in the provinces and territories designed for the instruction of English and French as second official languages, to support second-language learning and skill development activities, and to finance projects aimed at producing and disseminating knowledge, methods and tools for the advancement of second-language instruction. Three sub-components are proposed to achieve this goal: Intergovernmental Cooperation, Cooperation with the Non-Governmental Sector and Young Canada Works.

• Intergovernmental Cooperation aims to assist provincial and territorial governments, directly or through the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, (CMEC) to offer young Canadians activities enabling them to learn English or French as a second official language and, to do so, proposes three types of support:

  • Support for the Maintenance and Improvement of English or French Second-Language Programs;
  • Support for the Implementation of the Government of Canada 's Action Plan for Official Languages; and
  • Complementary Support for Language Learning.
• Cooperation with the Non-Governmental Sector aims to increase the production and dissemination of knowledge, methods and tools to support second-language teaching.
• Young Canada Works in Both Official Languages and Young Canada Works at Building Careers in English and French are components of the Youth Employment Strategy and aim to help young participants acquire advanced skills and hands-on experience while learning and improving their English or French as a second official language.

III. Immediate outcomes

Stakeholders and projects that receive Department funding must contribute to achieving one or several of the objectives of the Second-Language Learning component of the Enhancement of Official Languages Program, as well as immediate outcomes targeted by this component.

The immediate outcomes targeted by the Second-Language Learning component are as follows:

• maintenance and improvement in the provision of provincial and territorial programs and activities related to learning English and French as second official languages;

• increase and dissemination of knowledge and improved access to innovative methods and tools for the teaching of English and French as second official languages;

• greater proportion of Canadians who learn English or French as a second official language and become acquainted with the culture it conveys.

[ Back ]