As demand for French courses in Montreal soars, volunteers are stepping up to help fill the gap
CBC
This story is a collaboration between Concordia University's journalism department and CBC Montreal.
Every Wednesday morning, Vladimir Chindea co-hosts French language conversation workshops for newcomers in Montreal as a peer educator. He is not paid for it. He just wants to give back.
"It's also to try to be present, to offer help that my family would have benefited from when they arrived," said Chindea.
Chindea, originally from Romania, moved to Montreal as a child with his parents.
These days, part of his free time is spent helping newcomers to the province get accustomed with the French language as a volunteer with the Carrefour de ressources en interculturel (CRIC).
WATCH | Vladimir Chindea explains why he volunteers:
The CRIC is a French learning centre for newcomers to Montreal. It provides various free services, including language workshops, help with paperwork and free legal clinics to understand one's rights as an immigrant.
"I couldn't be more familiar with the integration and immigration issues that people share with us," said Chindea.
"These are people who have been teachers in their country. When they see a 24-year-old guy teaching them French, I can only approach this with great humility."
Every week, the workshop room, located in Montreal's Centre-Sud neighbourhood, is abuzz with languages, from conversations in Ukrainian, to clarifications in English, to shared vocabulary in Portuguese and Spanish.
The workshops are based on the participants' French proficiency, ranging from beginner to intermediate. The conversations take place in a bright and cozy room, where the atmosphere is welcoming and participants are seated around the same table.
Nearly every week, someone brings in a dessert for the group, and sessions end with a flurry of exchanging contacts.
"It's very special to witness," said Chindea. "People come here first to learn how to speak French, but they ultimately find something more meaningful and bigger."
As demand for French classes in Quebec soars and waiting lists get longer, volunteer-led courses like those offered at the CRIC are helping to address the backlog.
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