$9.5M in language training announced
July 11, 2009
Federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said Friday he wants more immigrants in Canada to learn one of the country’s official languages and expects them to better integrate into Canadian society.
In Calgary to announce $9.5 million in funding for language training programs in the city, Kenney said the government expects all immigrants to speak French or English if they are to become Canadian citizens. But only a quarter of them are taking advantage of government-funded language courses — even though it’s a “critical pathway to success in Canada.”
The additional funding for settlement services, expected to benefit about 13,000 Calgarians, will help with the transition to Canadian society, he said, but noted that “integration is a two-way street.”
“Newcomers have a right to be different, but a duty to integrate. They also have to take the initiative,” Kenney told reporters at the Calgary Immigrant Educational Society.
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Source : Jason Fekete
