Canada and the ECML

Canada has permanent observer status at the Council of Europe since 1996. However, for the past thirty years, Canada and its educational institutions have followed closely the work of the Council of Europe in the area of modern languages. Researchers, educators and Canadian experts have participated on a regular basis in various projects and activities of the Council of Europe in the area of language teaching and learning. Conversely, European researchers have been invited on many occasions to participate in conferences, symposiums and workshops organised in Canada.

With the creation of the European Centre for Modern Languages in 1995, cooperation initiatives between Canada and Europe in the area of languages have increased considerably. In fact, it is in this context that, on January 22, 2008, the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) and the University of Ottawa, represented by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI), signed a Memorandum on Cooperation and Liaison, with the following objectives:

1. increase contacts between the ECML and Canadian language experts, with the long-term aim of creating favourable conditions for full Canadian membership of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the ECML;
2. designate OLBI as a Canadian partner of the ECML in a two-way role:
   • disseminate the ECML’s work in Canada as a "Contact Point" for the ECML;
   • propose Canadian experts to take part in the ECML projects and activities.

The Memorandum on Cooperation and Liaison was renewed with modifications on March 25, 2012 for a four year period, in line with the duration of the ECML 4th Medium Term Programme “Learning through Languages” (2012-2015).

Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute

The Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI), an integral part of the University of Ottawa, was officially launched on July 1st, 2007 to pursue the key role played until now by the Second Language Institute (SLI) at the University of Ottawa. For more than 40 years, the SLI had been a cornerstone in the promotion of second languages at the University, enjoying an enviable reputation on both the teaching and research fronts.

OLBI strengthens and promotes education and research in the fields of teaching, evaluation and language-policy design. It strives to stand as a national and international authority in the field of bilingualism and official languages. For more information on OLBI, please consult our website at www.olbi.uottawa.ca.

As per the Memorandum of Cooperation and Liaison with the ECML, OLBI acts as the Contact Point to disseminate the ECML’s work in Canada, and also as the National Coordinator to propose Canadian experts to take part in the ECML projects and activities. In this context, in 2008, within the ECML 3rd Medium Term Programme entitled “Empowering Language Professionals” (2008-2011), the following projects related to priority areas of research in Canada were selected and Canadian experts were involved in these projects as team member or resource person:

• Encouraging the culture of evaluation among professionals (ECEP): Alister Cumming, Modern Language Centre, University of Toronto, resource person.
• The European Language portfolio in whole-school use (ELP-WSU): Marnie Beaudoin, Edmonton Public School Board, resource person.
• Developing online teaching skills (DOTS): Aline Germain-Rutherford, Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, University of Ottawa, team member.
• Content-based teaching + plurilingual/cultural awareness (ConBaT+): Peter MacIntyre, Department of Psychology, Cape Breton University, resource person.
• Minority languages, collateral languages and bi-/plurilingual education (EBP-ICI): Diane Dagenais, Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University, resource person.
• Language association and collaborative support (LACS): Nicole Thibault, Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT), resource person.

In 2012, within the 4th Medium Term Programme « Learning through Languages – Promoting inclusive, plurilingual and intercultural education », an Advisory Committee of researchers and directors of Institute/Centres was struck to review all of the projects approved by the ECML, select the projects that appear most relevant to the Canadian context, and identify Canadian researchers which could contribute to the projects selected. The Advisory Committee selected the following projects and identified the Canadian experts who accepted to partocipate as team member or resource person :

• Diversity in majority language (MALEDIVE): Patricia Lamarre, Département de didactique, Faculté des sciences de l'éducation, Université de Montréal. 
• Language descriptors for migrant and minority learners' success in compulsory education (Language descriptors): Paula Kristmanson, Second Language Research Institute of Canada, University of New Brunswick.
• Literacies through Content and Language Integrated Learning: effective learning across subjects and languages (CLIL 2.0): Roy Lyster, Department of Integrated Studies in Education (DISE), McGill University.
• Languages in corporate quality (LINCQ): Enrica Piccardo, Centre for Educational Research on Languages and Literacies, OISE, University of Toronto.
• Collaborative Community Approach to Migrant Education (Community): Melody Kostiuk, Institute for Innovation in Second Language Education, Edmonton Public School Board.
• Empowering language networks (LACS): Wendy Carr, Department of Language & Literacy Education, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia.
• Plurilingual and intercultural competences: descriptors and teaching materials (CARAP): Danièle Moore, Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University. 

ECML flyer - Standard fact sheet on the ECML: it briefly sums up the Centre's aims, functions and structures

ECML Publications

Canadian Publications

• Revue/Journals

Professional (refereed) Canadian Journals:

The Canadian Modern Language Review (CMLR) http://www.utpjournals.com/Canadian-Modern-Language-Review.html/

The Canadian Journal of Linguistics (CJL)
http://www.utpjournals.com/Canadian-Journal-of-Linguistics.html/ 

The Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics (CAAL) 

TESL Canada Journal http://www.tesl.ca/TESL_Canada_Bulletin/TESL_Canada_Journal.htm 

Education et francophonie est une revue scientifique arbitrée qui présente des résultats de recherche inédits sur l'éducation en langue maternelle française. Elle contribue à l'avancement des connaissances en éducation francophone et stimule la réflexion des leaders du domaine.

• Newsletters

Bulletin 41-42. Canadian Heritage  

Réflexions. Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT), CASLT Resources & Publications

Immersion Journal. Canadian Association of Immersion Teachers (CAIT) http://www.acpi.ca/  
http://www.acpi.ca/index.cfm M=3188&Repertoire_No=2137989657&Voir=menu

• Reports

Education in Canada is a document prepared and updated periodically by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), which gives a current pan-Canadian overview of education.

Protocol for Agreements for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction (2009-10 to 2012-2013), 2009

Pan-Canadian Report on Official Languages in Education, 2005–06 to 2008–09, Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), 2011. http://www.cmec.ca/Publications/Lists/Publications/Attachments/272/olep-report.pdf  

Explore and Destination Clic 2006-07 annual report - abridged version (2008)

Accent and Odyssey Annual Report 2005-06 - Abridged version (2008)

Résultats de l’enquête sur la vitalité des minorités de langue officielle (2007) 

La pédagogie en milieu minoritaire francophone: une recension des écrits

Roadmap for Canada’s Linguistic Duality 2008-2013: Acting for the Future. Government of Canada, 2008. 

Plan Twenty Thirteen (2013) Strategies for a National Approach in Second Language Education. S. Rehorick, Principal Consultant. Official Languages Support Programs, Dept of Canadian Heritage, 2004.

The State of French-Second-Language Education in Canada 2010 Canadian Parents for French
http://cpf.ca/fr/files/FINAL-FSL-REPORT-FRENCH.pdf

Review of Ministry of Education Policies affecting equitable access. 2010 http://cpf.ca/en/files/Review-of-Ministry-of-Education-Policies-2010.pdf  

Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages – Annual Report 2010-2011 Leadership, Action, Results
http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/docs/e/ar_ra_2010_11_e.pdf

Two languages, a World of Opportunities: Second-language learning in Canada’s universities (October 2009)

Beyond Bilingual Meetings: Leadership Behaviours for Managers. Study by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (2011)
http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/docs/e/stu_etu_032011_e.pdf 

Discussion Forum on the Perspectives of Canadians of Diverse Backgrounds on Linguistic Duality. Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, 2007. 

5,000 Bilingual Positions to be Filled Every Year: the Role of Postsecondary Institutions in Promoting Canada’s Linguistic Duality. Report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, June 2009. 

Making your Organization Bilingual - Online Guide. Canadian Heritage (modified 2009). http://www.pch.gc.ca/special/guide/pdf/guide-eng.pdf

Living and Learning in a Bilingual Canada - Regional Youth Forums: Summary of Findings, June 2008. Society of Educational Visits and Exchanges (SEVEC).

Two languages, a World of Opportunities: Second-Language Learning in Canada’s Universities, Official Languages Commissioner, October 2009.

English-French School Group Exchanges in Canada and Their Impact, SEVEC 2009.

English and French School Group Exchanges in Canada and Their Long Term Impact, SEVEC, 2009.

Ipsos Reid Report on Demand for Bilingual Employees in the Job Market. 2008 http://cpf.ca/en/files/IpsosReid_FSL2008_E.pdf

Minorities Speak Up: Results of the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities (2006)
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/91-548-x/91-548-x2007001-eng.pdf

General

The Language Portal of Canada is a Web site that showcases Canadian expertise in the area of language. It informs readers about Canadian resources that deal with different aspects of language.

LangCanada.ca is a portal to promote and develop the linguistic duality of Canada by providing a one-stop window on the Internet that provides access to information and resources related to second official language teaching and learning.

Intensive French and Intensive English

• An Examination of Intensive French: A Pedagogical Strategy for the Improvement of French as a Second Language Outcomes in Canada, CASLT Research Report, Alina MacFarlane (2005)
• Intensive French in Canada, Canadian Modern Language Review, Special Issue, Vol. 60, No. 3 February 2004
• L'anglais intensif: ce que dit la recherche (fichier PDF) http://www.fcpq.qc.ca/data/userfiles/files/Recherche_Developpement/Anglais%20intensif/AnglaisIntensif_Bibliograph
  ieDec2011_1%5B1%5D.pdf
• Guide d'implantation de l'enseignement intensif de l'anglais, langue seconde, au Québec http://www.fcpq.qc.ca/data/userfiles/files/Recherche_Developpement/Anglais%20intensif/guide_intensif-SPEAQ-2012.pdf

Canadian Approach to the Common European Framework

• Working with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in the Canadian Context – Guide for Policy Makers and Curriculum Designers.  January 2010  
  http://www.cmec.ca/docs/assessment/CEFR-canadian-context.pdf
• A Common Framework of Reference and a Portfolio for Languages in Canada, CASLT Information Kit – 2 DVDs with slideshows and videoclips and series of 6 fact sheets
• Proposal for a Common Framework of Reference for Languages for Canada. Prepared by Laurens Vandergrift, PhD, Second Language Institute, University of Ottawa, May 2006
• The European Language Portfolio and its potential for Canada (National Workshop Report on Proceeding) - Executive Summary, Sally Rehorick, Second Language Education Centre, University of New Brunswick (November 14, 2005)

French and English Second Language Teachers

• Perceptions from ESL Teachers Across Canada: A National Survey of the English Second Language (ESL) Teaching Profession (2011)
• Profile and Pathways - Supports for Developing FSL Teachers' Pedagogical, Linguistic, and Cultural Competencies (2009)
• Teaching French as a Second Language in Canada: Teachers' Perspectives. Sharon Lapkin, Alina MacFarlane, Larry Vandergrift, 2006 http://www.caslt.org/pdf/FSL-Report-En.pdf 
• Why are new French immersion and French as a second language teachers leaving the profession? Results of a Canada-wide survey, ACPI, 2008

Core French and immersion programs

• French Immersion: When and Why? 2008 http://cpf.ca/en/files/03_FI_When_and_Why_E.pdf
• Voices of Allophone Adults and Allophone university students: Perspectives and Experiences with French as a Second Official Language in Canada. 2010 http://cpf.ca/en/files/a-ORIGINAL-ALLO-RPT-Feb-25-2010.pdf
• Quality Learning in French Second Language in New Brunswick, A Brief to the Department of Education. S. Rehorick, J. Dicks, P. Kristmanson, F. Cogswell. Second Language Education Centre, University of New Brunswick, April 2006.
• The Relative Effectiveness of Different Core French Delivery Models - Review of the Research. Callie Mady, 2008 
• La recherche universitaire en immersion française au Canada 1995 à 2002. Association canadienne des professeurs d’immersion (ACPI).
• Les programmes de formation des maîtres en français langue seconde (FLS) ou en immersion au Canada. ACPI, 2006. 

Minority education 

• Politique d'aménagement linguistique de l'Ontario pour l'éducation en langue française http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/fre/document/policy/linguistique/linguistique.pdf 
• Rapport de recherche: Là où le nombre le justifie…V : Petite enfance et autonomie culturelle. Mai 2010
  http://cnpf.ca/documents/Petite_enfance-Final_(7_mai_2010).pdf
• État des lieux sur l'integration des élèves issus de l'immigration dans les écoles de langue française en situation minoritaire - Recension des écrits (Janvier 2010)
• Guide - Éléments constitutifs d'une politique linguistique et culturelle
• Rapport sur l'examen de la gouvernance des conseils scolaires 2009 Ontario
• L'éducation: pierre angulaire de la revitalisation des communautés francophones et acadiennes
• Vers la pleine gestion scolaire francophone en milieu minoritaire. Etude des besoins des trente conseils scolaires francophones en milieu minoritaire au Canada
• L’alphabétisation familiale, un choix pour la vitalité des communautés
• Libérer le potentiel caché de l'exogamie. Profil démolinguistique des enfants des ayants droit francophones selon la structure familiale
• Recrutement, maintien et formation du personnel scolaire dans les communautés acadiennes en milieu minoritaire au Canada (août 2008)
• Teachers and the Challenge of Teaching in Minority Settings

Education in French mother tongue

• Banque d’activités pédagogiques 
• Une invitation à la réussite à l’école de langue française 
• Hand in Hand - Family Literacy in a Minority Context
• Un guide pratique sur la collaboration intersectorielle en petite enfance. Juillet 2007 http://cnpf.ca/documents/Approche_intersectorielle_guidejuillet_2007_2.pdf 

Second Language Teaching

• Basic French in Manitoba. A vos marques, prêts, partez! A Must-Have Guide for Teachers. 2008. 
• Programme d’anglais langue seconde au primaire au Québec. 2006 http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/dgfj/dp/programme_de_formation/primaire/pdf
  /prform2001/als_1er_cycle.pdf  

• Language Research Centre, University of Calgary
• Institute for Innovation in Second Language Education, Edmonton Public Schools
• Centre for Research on Language Contact, Glendon College
• Centre for Educational Research on Languages and Literacies/Centre de recherche éducative en langues et litéracies (CERLL),
• Language Technologies Research Centre
• Centre for Research on Language, Mind and Brain, McGill University
• Second Language Research Institute, University of New Brunswick
• Centre d’études ethniques des universités montréalaises
• Centre interdisciplinaire de recherches sur les activités langagières, Université Laval http://www2.ulaval.ca/fileadmin/ulaval_ca/Images/recherche/bd/regroupement/fiche/74.html 
• Canadian Institute for Research on Linguistic Minorities
• Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, University of Ottawa
• Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks
• Institut franco-ontarien (IFO), Université Laurentienne http://www.laurentian.ca/Laurentian/Home/Departments/IFO/Mission.htm?Laurentian_Lang=fr-CA
• Centre de recherche en linguistique appliquée (CRLA), Université de Moncton http://www.umoncton.ca/umcm-crla/  

Institutions

• Department of Canadian Heritage – Official Languages Support Program
• Commissioner of Official Languages
• Council of Ministers of Education (CMEC)

Associations

• Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers
• Canadian Association of Immersion Teachers
• Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics
• Society for the Promotion of the Teaching of English as a Second Language in Quebec
• Association québécoise des enseignants de français langue seconde
• Ontario Modern Language Teachers' Association
• British Columbia Association of Teachers of Modern Languages
• Canadian Parents for French
• Society for Educational Visits and Exchanges in Canada
• French for the Future
• Fédération nationale des conseils scolaires francophones
• Commission nationale des parents francophones
• Réseau pour le développement de l'alphabétisme et des compétences (RESDAC) http://resdac.net/
• Association canadienne d’éducation de langue française
• Canadian Teachers Federation

The annual activity reports of the National Contact Points for the ECML provide a summary of the activities organised in order to promote the Centre's work within its member states through national networks working in the field of language education.

(pdf format)

Activity report: 2008 (English - French) -  2009 (French) - 2010 (English - French) - 2011 (English - French)

Council of Europe website: English - French - German - Italian - Russian
 

National relays for the European Day of Languages (EDL)

The function of a national EDL Relay is to act as a multiplier for organisations, schools and associations, circulating:

• information communicated by the Council of Europe (for example the press release of the Council on the Day, which the Relays are invited to translate into national/local languages, updates on the website);

• promotional materials - posters, stickers etc. provided by the Council of Europe every year in significant quantities for event organisers.

Contact details of the national relays

EDL website

Updated: July 15, 2012

Council of Europe website: English - French - German - Italian - Russian
 

National relays for the European Day of Languages (EDL)

The function of a national EDL Relay is to act as a multiplier for organisations, schools and associations, circulating:

• information communicated by the Council of Europe (for example the press release of the Council on the Day, which the Relays are invited to translate into national/local languages, updates on the website);

• promotional materials - posters, stickers etc. provided by the Council of Europe every year in significant quantities for event organisers.

Contact details of the national relays

EDL website

Updated: July 15, 2012