They didn’t speak a word of French when they started school last fall. Nine months later, hundreds of young people aged 12 to 19, from all over the world, are able to tell stories of their lives in front of 400 people — and in the official language of Quebec.
It’s not magic, but almost. This feat — teaching Quebec and its language in record time — we owe it to school staff and teachers in reception classes in the public education network. They know how to go about welcoming these young people in search of a better life. Francization in the school environment works.
On Wednesday evening, in the crowded amphitheater of Antoine-Brossard high school on the South Shore, students from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Colombia, Peru, Iran and elsewhere gave insight into their talents. of their determination. And their gratitude. In French.
“Arriving here, I felt like an astronaut landing on another planet,” said Guillermo, who arrived from Venezuela. He had to get used to everything: the weather, the language, the food.
“I fell in love with this planet called Canada,” he added in French with a Spanish accent.
Testimonies like this, the 400 people present in the room heard for almost an hour. Always in the only official language of Quebec. Parents, students and teachers applauded very loudly. And tears (of joy) flowed.
Suhayla, from Saint-Edmond secondary school, who came from Afghanistan in December 2020: “I am free and I love it. »
Pawarna, also from Afghanistan: “Women are not only used to wash clothes, do the dishes or take care of the house and the children. »
Aysem, aged “nine years and 364 days”, spoke of Tunisia, his native country: “I miss my friend Ayeb’s five fish and his brother Youssef’s chick. »
Mojgan, from Saint-Jean-Baptiste secondary school, arrived from Iran: “I wish you a world full of peace, kindness and above all dance steps. »
An organized success
The young people who testified during this gala evening attend reception classes at the Center de services scolaire Marie-Victorin (CSSMV), which includes the territory of Longueuil. The service center has developed an original method to integrate hundreds of students from elsewhere each year: a project called Voix migrantses allows young people to tell their story (in French) through podcasts, films, digital books, photos and a series of other means.
Throughout the school year, young people set out to discover Québec — and themselves — through writing workshops, outings in the open air or to the museum, to the sugar shack, on skis background… The authors Kim Thúy and Caroline Dawson, born in Vietnam and Chile, came to talk to them about the joy of telling stories. The students file their secrets every day in a pretty logbook.
On Wednesday, they exhibited their photos, podcasts, films and life stories in the hall of Antoine-Brossard school.
“We see them hatching,” summarizes Marie-Hélène Mathieu, one of the two intercultural mediators behind the project. An Afghan student managed to write at most two words of French last September. She came to tell her story in front of a full house on Wednesday.
“The teachers have embarked body and soul on this project,” adds Marie-Michèle Filion, the other conductor of Voix migrants.
welcome committee
Like all school service centers in the Montreal region, the CSSMV has welcomed a wave of newcomers in recent months. Some 2,360 additional students have arrived in public schools in Longueuil since September. That’s almost 1000 more than last year. Children who are comfortable in French attend regular classes, but 120 reception classes are reserved for those who are learning the language.
The intercultural mediators, supported by five remedial teachers, meet each student’s family newly arrived in the territory to help them settle in. They refer these families to support services (housing, social services or other). Some children haven’t been to school for years because of the war.
Kelly Martinez, who arrived from Brazil last September with her 13-year-old son, cannot get over the welcome from Quebecers. “The education system is very good. It’s free. And we are safe here, ”says the 36-year-old mother in hesitant but completely understandable French.
She plans to find work in information technology as soon as she has passed her French courses. Her son, Gustavo, is also enchanted by his new life. He made friends. He plays soccer and swims.
Courage and resilience
“They are exceptional students. Every year, I am impressed by their courage and resilience,” says Roxanne Dubé-Rémillard, teacher of a reception class of 17 students at Saint-Jean-Baptiste secondary school.
In nine months, they went from “beginner” to “advanced” level in French. The Migrant Voices program works wonderfully, explains the 34-year-old teacher: the writing workshops invite students to reflect on their life journey. For example, they are inspired by a smell or a color gleaned from their cultural outings to bring back memories. And tell them in French.
“They take a step back from unpleasant events. It plays down the drama,” says Nabila Kebaili, francization teacher at Jacques-Rousseau high school.
She understands the culture shock experienced by her students. She experienced it herself when she arrived from Algeria at the age of 23, in 2008. The first times in Quebec were difficult even though she spoke French. Nabila is now here at home. The teacher has only one wish: that her students in turn flourish in their host country. In French of course.