Several thousand Quebecers with the desire to share the language of Molière are sought to participate in a unique twinning program launched by the Foundation for the French Language.
“We see that there is a great desire to share the French language with newcomers or immigrants who have already been in Quebec for a while and who want to perfect their French,” explains Marie-Anne Alepin, president of the Foundation for the French language.
The initiative, which is called “Deux par deux,” consists of pairing a person learning French with a volunteer so that they talk on the phone, online or in person for one hour per week.
Friendship bonds
“We should not see the initiative as work or volunteering strictly speaking, it is rather an opportunity to exchange and introduce our culture to people who want to learn or improve French,” adds -She.
“There are so many beautiful encounters that are created, there is a duo who became friends to the point where one became the godmother of the other’s child,” she adds. .
Young people interested
According to a Léger survey, 73% of Quebecers “think it is important to get involved and promote French to immigrants” while 36%, or one in three Quebecers, would like to volunteer for the cause.
In a press release, Jean-Marc Léger emphasizes that “this study demonstrates that there is a consensus in Quebec about the importance we attach to the integration of newcomers. Even if there is often a gap between intentions and reality, the fact remains that a very significant number of respondents expressed an interest in making a personal commitment to contribute.”
Among the people already registered in the program, we find people of all ages, but the Foundation would like to recruit 3,000 new volunteers to meet the demand.
“It is certain that there are several retired people who have more time available, but there are many young people who also want to take part in the initiation,” observes Marie-Anne Alepin.
Still according to the Léger survey, 66% of respondents aged 18 to 34 recognize “the importance of citizen involvement in promoting French among immigrants” and of this number, 34% would be interested in becoming a volunteer in a program language exchange.
Interested parties can register directly online on the Deux par deux Québec platform.
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