Secondary School Exchanges : A Promising Way of Fostering Bilingualism in the Next Generation

In Quebec, it is a basic fact that a solid grasp of the French language is essential to finding work, participating fully in the political process, and integrating into society. While statistics show that bilingualism is very common among the Englishspeaking minority, and especially so among youth, problems nonetheless arise. Young English-speakers frequently report that they do not feel confident enough in their ability to speak French, while others remark that their written French is not strong enough to land a job. Inadequate knowledge of French is a contributing factor to the higher unemployment rates experienced by young English- speakers. A lack of work, and a hampered ability to take part in public life in general, lead to the disenfranchisement of members of this community. Given the high demand among young English- speakers for more French-language training, policy makers must come up with new and creative ways of meeting the demand.