French-Language Instruction
If you find yourself, as a refugee or independent immigrant, having to learn French upon your arrival or desiring to improve you proficiency in this language, there are a number of options open to you:
- Full-time courses are offered at a number of levels by the Ministry of Education, for a maximum 10-month duration. Such courses are given at SERY itself or at the CEGEP (an educational institution in Québec).
- Part-time evening courses offered at SERY.
- Additional courses which favour the obtaining of Québec educational equivalencies, given at
- For youth under the age of 16, access to a local educational institution is available, which also provides practice-time in French.
In addition, several pilot projects are taking form thanks to the active involvement of SERY, the CEGEP, CRIF and Jobs Québec:
- AEC: The AEC is a session lasting a number of weeks, given within the context of an Attestation of Collegial Studies. It allows those immigrants who have attained a certain degree of French proficiency to further perfect their French, to continue their studies at the college or university levels, or to consider professional possibilities in keeping with their profile.
- French courses are offered at CRIF, in the aim of improving the student’s French proficiency, both oral and written.
Before becoming eligible for the two abovementioned training options, one must first successfully complete the 10-month French-language course offered by the Ministry of Immigration. There is a possibility that the student may not be allowed to repeat these programmes if not successfully completed a first time.
For those who do not fulfill the abovementioned requirements (those seeking political asylum or those being sponsored), access to such programmes may be somewhat restricted. However, SERY may be able to suggest other options.
In addition to these educational programmes, we offer the possibility of partnering one of our volunteers with an immigrant still awaiting the starting date of their government language course, for French practice on SERY premises.
A student teacher/animator is also recruited for the summer period, to provide French classes and activities to those awaiting government French-language instruction or to school-aged students awaiting a return to classes.
For more information, please contact us by telephone at (450) 777-7213 or my email at info@sery-granby.org.