May 25, 2022

Winnipeg
18° C, Partly cloudy

Full Forecast

Contact Us Subscribe Manage Subscription Chat with us
Log in Create Free Account Help Chat with us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising Contact
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Subscribe to Newsletters

    • Finding your
      information

    • My Account
    • Manage my Subscription
    • Change Password

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
    • Log in
    • Create Free Account
    • Help

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
  • Coronavirus Coverage
  • Replica E-Edition
    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • Community Review East
    • Community Review West
  • Above the Fold
  • Front page
  • Arts & Life
    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Book Club
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
    • Manitoba's Top Employers
  • Canada
  • Local
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • World
  • The Star
  • Reader BridgeNEW
  • WFP EventsNEW
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News Café
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Archives
  • Free Press Community Review
    • All Free Press Community Review News
    • East Edition
    • West Edition
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Classifieds
  • Contests
  • Coupons
    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • LifestylesNEW
    • All Lifestyles
    • Business Hub
    • Community
    • Drink & Dine
    • Life
    • Wellness
    • Whiskers & Wings
    • Sponsored Articles
  • Homes
    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Newsletters
  • Obituaries
  • Puzzles
  • Photo and Book store
  • More

©2022 FP Newspaper Inc.

Close
  • Quick Links

    • Coronavirus Coverage
    • Federal Election
    • Above the Fold
    • Home
    • Local
    • Canada
    • World
    • Classifieds
    • Special Coverage
    • Newsletters
    • Obituaries
    • Photo and Book store
    • Archives
    • Contests
    • Publications
    • Sponsored Content
    • Privacy Policy

    Ways to support us

    • Pay it Forward program
    • Subscribe
    • Day Pass
    • Support Faith coverage
    • Support Arts coverage
  • Replica E-Edition

    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • Community Review East
    • Community Review West

    Business

    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
  • Arts & Life

    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Sports

    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • Opinion

    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor

    Media

    • All Media
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos

    Homes

    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Canstar Community News

    • All Free Press Community Review News
    • East Edition
    • West Edition
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Coupons

    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • About Us

    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News Café
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
The Free Press
Articles Read
Your Balance +tax
Day Pass Till
Day Pass
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising Contact
    • Report an Error
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
    • Staff Biographies
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Subscribe to Newsletters

    • Finding your
      information

    • Log in
    • Create Account
    • Help
    • Chat with us

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
    • My Account
    • Manage My Subscription
    • Change Password
    • Chat with us

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
Log in Create Account Contact Us
Contact Us Manage Subscription
  • Sections
  • Local
  • Arts & Life
    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Diversions
    • Environment
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Health
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
    • Manitoba's Top Employers
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Soccer
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
  • E-Edition
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
    • All Classifieds
    • Announcements
    • Automotive
    • Careers
    • Garage Sales
    • Merchandise
    • Pets
    • Real Estate
    • Rentals
    • Services
  • Lifestyles
    • Business Hub
    • Community
    • Drink & Dine
    • Life
    • Manitoba’s Top Employers
    • Wellness
    • Whiskers & Wings
    • Sponsored Articles
  • Coupons
    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print
    • Ripley's Aquariums
    • The Bay
    • Staples Canada
    • Altitude Sports
    • Nike
    • Tuango
    • Ebay Canada
    • Sport Chek
    • Roots
  • Obituaries
  • Subscribe$1.50 for 5 months
Home Canada

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Syrian refugees in Quebec's French-integration classes learning fast, having fun

By: Giuseppe Valiante, The Canadian Press
Posted: 11:32 AM CST Friday, Feb. 19, 2016
Last Modified: 1:51 PM CST Friday, Feb. 19, 2016

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Print
  • Email
  • Save to Read Later

MONTREAL - Elementary school teacher Evelyn Bissonnette asks her 14 young students to stand up, one by one, and introduce themselves.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/2/2016 (2287 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Syrian refugees Jamil Haddad, left, and Tony Batekh, 2nd left, George Louka and Edmon Artin, right, have some fun while they attend French classes at a school Wednesday, February 17, 2016 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

Syrian refugees Jamil Haddad, left, and Tony Batekh, 2nd left, George Louka and Edmon Artin, right, have some fun while they attend French classes at a school Wednesday, February 17, 2016 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

MONTREAL - Elementary school teacher Evelyn Bissonnette asks her 14 young students to stand up, one by one, and introduce themselves.

"Hello," a confident young boy says in French. "My name is George and I am seven years old and I speak French, Arabic and English. And I come from Syria."

George moved to Canada less than two months ago and already speaks French with little to no Arabic accent.

"And do you have any brothers or sisters?" asks Bissonnette, whose French-integration class includes 11 Syrian refugees aged six and seven.

"I am seven years old," is his memorized reply.

While his accent is spot on, he is not yet fluent.

Bissonnette said that within three months, however, most of the kids understand and speak French with ease.

She is on Quebec's front lines in the resettling of thousands of refugees the province wants to welcome as part of the federal government's pledge to bring in 25,000 Syrians fleeing their country's civil war.

While Syrian children are being integrated into classrooms across the country, Quebec's strict language laws force refugees settling in the province to have a sufficient knowledge of French before they can attend regular school.

"They learn fast," said Bissonnette. "I repeat things often and a lot of the learning is non-verbal at first."

She teaches one of 10 so-called "welcome classes" offered at Ecole Fran�ois-de-Laval, in Montreal's Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough, which has become home to a significant percentage of immigrants, not just from Syria, but also from North and Central Africa.

This year's 10 classes, for children aged five to 12, are a record and reflect how immigration to the area is rapidly changing demographics.

"Twenty years ago this neighbourhood's population was shrinking," says Francine Caron, a social worker who acts as a link between the school and several community organizations.

"Last year we added an annex to the school," she said, standing in the new building. "This is the first time we've had so many welcome classes. A lot of refugees and other immigrants are coming to this neighbourhood, from Lebanon, Egypt, Algeria. Housing here is cheaper."

Bissonnette's classroom looks like any other, with posters of capital and lower-case letters lining the walls that surround giggling and laughing children.

She lets the kids colour on their own. Slowly, the steady hum of kids talking starts getting louder.

Bissonnette says due to the initial language barriers, the refugee children "need a lot of content" so she makes sure to teach math every day.

"You don't need language as much for math so it helps them feel competent," she says, as some of her kids begin to sit on top of one another, the giggling getting ever louder.

A young boy walks up to the front of the class and reveals how someone has drawn a red line with marker across a page in his workbook.

"Did Edmon do that?" Bissonnette asks. The boy nods and walks back to his seat.

"Edmon is my little disturber," she says lovingly about the seven-year-old, who is also from Syria. "He likes to hide the water bottles."

The room's noise has become overwhelming. George is sitting with another three kids on top of him. All are squealing in delight.

Bissonnette has let things go on long enough.

"OK everyone, back to your seats," she says softly in French.

It's time for lunch.

Bissonnette says non-francophone immigrants stay in welcome classes for one year on average before starting normal school, but adds the curriculum she teaches is virtually the same as in regular classes.

The Free Press | Newsletter

Winnipeg Gardener

What you need to know now about gardening in Winnipeg. A monthly email from the Free Press with advice, ideas and tips to keep your outdoor and indoor plants growing.

Sign up for Winnipeg Gardener
Sign Up

So far, both Caron and Bissonnette say the resettling process has gone smoothly and the children, at least, seem to be integrating well into Quebec society.

One major reason is due to the fact the majority of refugees who have so far arrived in Quebec were privately sponsored and most have strong family or community networks already in the city.

As the number of government-sponsored refugees increases, however, their jobs might get more difficult.

But neither Caron nor Bissonnette appears particularly concerned.

"We'll wait and see," Caron said.

- Follow @gvaliante on Twitter

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

  • Report Error
  • Submit a Tip
  • Refund

The Winnipeg Free Press invites you to share your opinion on this story in a letter to the editor. A selection of letters to the editor are published daily.

To submit a letter:
• fill out the form on this page, or
• email letters@freepress.mb.ca, or
• mail Letters to the Editor, 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2X 3B6.

Letters must include the writer’s full name, address, and a daytime phone number. Letters are edited for length and clarity.

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Top