Inside Lingua Franca, around 15 students spent their Saturday learning French, keen to connect with Quebec culture.
With the provincial government’s public classes completely packed, students are turning to private options.
“When you learn French, you’re able to open these possibilities of getting to know more people and having more opportunities,” said Rebeca Cerezo, a student at the francization school.
Some say their job prospects depend on learning the language.
“If you don’t speak French, you won’t be able to get a very good job,” said Luis Adame, another adult student.
For Sergio Beltran, it’s an essential step in his immigration process.
He considered the French courses offered by the Quebec government, but friends told him they don’t offer enough personalized support.
“The level of that class is not equal for all students,” Beltran said.
Lingua Franca opened in early January.
It has 45 spots, which are all taken, and had to reject 10 people who were willing to pay out of pocket.
The wait times for the government’s classes are too long, says founder and director Arnaud Hetu, adding delays come with a cost.
“Waiting has a price...it delays the whole process of integration, which is not only with integrating with work, with the professional world but also with the culture,” he says.
Last fall, while the Quebec government was arguing that it had increased the budget for francization, some school service centres said many of their francization classes were cut, which resulted in layoffs and students left blindsided.
Hetu says he approached the province about a public-private partnership, but was turned down.
“The public sector is not able to answer the demand,” he says. “I think that us, as Quebec, if we want to fulfill our mission, we need to be open to these initiatives.”
Quebec’s Immigration, Francization and Integration Ministry (MIFI) confirmed to CTV News that the Lingua Franca school’s request for partnership was denied “and given the reasons why.”
Additionally, MIFI states that “Efforts are also being made to improve our service offering so that it better meets the needs of our customers.”
One of these solutions is the creation of an online francization program for beginners, enabling independent learning.
It adds that from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, 71,869 students took part, and from April 1 to Nov. 30, 2024, that number increased to 77,000.
Looking forward, Hetu says he plans to launch at least one more class in February, opening his door to more eager learners.
