Glossary

Agreements with language schools

The agreements between the Québec government and language schools provide for the schools to teach French to candidates referred to them by Québec Immigration offices abroad.

These schools register students, provide training and evaluate learning with their own tools. They then issue the appropriate certificate.

Certain elements from the content of the MICC educational program are incorporated into courses offered to candidates.

Alliances françaises

The Alliance française has a well-established international school network and considerable expertise in teaching French. They operate in countries where Québec wishes to diversify its recruiting. They are able to administer international tests such as the Test d’evaluation du français(TEF) and the Test de connaissance du français (TCF).

Attestation of child care for payment of an allowance form

The form must be signed by the student and the person who provides child care services.

CEGEPs

In Québec, at the post-secondary level, students pursue their studies in special teaching establishments known by the French acronym CEGEP (Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel). This is an educational step between high school and university for students in the general program, or a vocational training school for others.

Child

For purposes of child care allowances, the MICC defines a dependent child as follows:
Child aged 12 or under, or over age 12 if the child attends elementary school or is physically or mentally handicapped, over whom the student or his spouse have and exercise parental authority.
(Source: Financial aid program for the linguistic integration of immigrants (PAFILI) 2006-2007, page 1)

Child care

To help parents combine their family and occupational responsibilities, the Québec government created a network of child care services offering diverse resources including Centres de la petite enfance (early childhood centres) and day-care centres.

Community organizations

Community organizations are nongovernmental, not-for-profit organizations that make agreements with the MICC to provide various integration services to immigrants.

Course formats

The MICC offers three types of course formats based on:

• language knowledge
• availability
• needs.

These course formats are:

• full-time intensive courses – 25 or 30 course hours per week
• part-time courses – 4 hours, 6 hours, 9 hours, 12 hours per week, during the day, evening or on weekends
• tailored courses, for distinct customers or those with specific needs.

The MICC courses are offered in partnership with universities, colleges, community organizations and school boards.

If admission to an MICC French course is confirmed, there will be no tuition fees.

Document collection

Teaching material was distributed to partner language schools that signed an agreement with the MICC. The documentation consists of:

• monographs on the general history, geography, values and culture of Québec
• practical guides to facilitate adaptation and integration in Québec
• workbooks and manuals produced in Québec for teaching and learning French as a second language
• a selection of CDs representative of the most current authors, composers and actors
• a selection of classic and recent Québec novels.

These documents are intended for teachers as well as for immigration candidates registered in French courses at these schools.

Eligibility for allowances

To determine the candidate’s eligibility for financial aid, an employee must:

• consider the candidate’s immigration situation
• consult the candidate’s immigration documents
• consult the immigration documents of the candidate's children
• check if the candidate is already receiving another form of financial aid from the government (employment assurance, employment assistance)

Employment assistance

Last-resort aid for underprivileged persons or families.

Employment insurance

Employment insurance provides temporary financial assistance to unemployed Canadians while they seek a new job or upgrade their skills.

Handicapped person

A person with an impairment causing a significant and persistent disability, who is liable to encounter barriers in performing everyday activities.
(Source: R.S.Q., c. E-20.1: An Act to secure handicapped persons in the exercise of their rights)

The Québec government wishes to ensure the full participation of handicapped persons in the community life and development of Québec.

Immigration status - Full-time course

You must indicate your current status in the application for admission and financial aid:

• permanent resident (application processed abroad or on-site in Canada)
• person who obtained asylum (recognized as a refugee)
• person authorized to apply for permanent residence on-site in Canada
• holder of a temporary stay permit issued with a view to the eventual granting of permanent residence
• naturalized Canadian citizen.

Immigration status - Part-time course

You may enroll in part-time French courses if you were admitted to Canada and your status was one of the following:

• you are a permanent resident
• you are authorized to apply for permanent residence on-site in Canada
• you hold a temporary stay permit issued with a view to the eventual granting of permanent residence (code 17, 27, 37, 86 to 95 on the permit)
• you have obtained asylum (recognized as a refugee)
• you are seeking asylum
• you are a naturalized Canadian citizen.

Maximum of 1,800 hours

The duration of lessons will vary depending on needs. However, the total duration, including full-time, part-time and tailored courses, may not exceed 1,800 hours.

MICC evaluator

The evaluator is a specialist who determines the level of French knowledge of a candidate during an interview. The evaluation meeting is by appointment. It is generally held in MICC offices or at a partner’s location.

Monitor

In full-time MICC courses, learning support activities are provided by francization monitors. Their role is to practice and consolidate what the teacher taught in class. Through these activities, the monitor seeks to develop a better understanding of Québec and facilitate integration into Québec society.

Partners

The MICC reaches agreements to open up French classes with recognized educational establishments and community organizations throughout Québec. These partnerships were formed to allow immigrants to learn French while encouraging their social and occupational integration into francophone environments.

From August 2004 to May 2005, the distribution of full-time students served by the partners was as follows: 21% in universities, 62% in CEGEPs, 11% in community organizations and 6% in school boards.

School boards

These organizations group together public schools from preschool to secondary education inclusively, as well as vocational training centres and adult education centres.

Selection criteria for immigrants

For the government, knowledge of French is an essential factor in the integration of immigrants in Québec. The Québec selection grid assigns great importance to knowledge of French. The desire to ensure the continuity and stability of the French element in Québec is behind this decision.

An online questionnaire Preliminary Evaluation for immigration lets you assess your chances of being selected by Québec. It is free. Section 4 of the questionnaire deals exclusively with language knowledge

Skills in French

To measure a student’s language skills, a scale is used with twelve levels for each of the three skills:

• oral interaction
• written comprehension
• written expression

and they are divided into three stages:

• Beginner - levels 1 to 4
• Intermediate - levels 5 to 8
• Advanced - levels 9 to 12

Spouse

Any person married to a student and with whom the student co-habits or any person who, in the 12 months prior to the application for financial aid, lived maritally with the student and is publicly presented by the student as his or her spouse.

Supporting documents

• Supporting documents stating the identity and place of residence of children
• Original visa of the immigrant and visa of each child
• Permanent resident card or original birth certificate for children born in Canada.

Teacher

Through teaching activities in oral interaction, written comprehension and written expression, the teacher seeks to build the immigrant’s language skills in French as a second language.

University

University education is the second stage of higher education and is divided into three levels: Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate.