Explaining Quebec's new French requirement for out-of-province university students

Not only is Quebec hiking annual tuition for out-of-province students at McGill and Concordia universities to $12,000, but the government will also require that 80 per cent of them graduate with an intermediate knowledge of spoken French.

The new French standard takes effect in the 2025-26 academic year and also applies to students at Bishop's University in Sherbrooke, Que.

According to the province's "scale of proficiency in French," the Level 5 oral knowledge demanded by Quebec means the person "understands the essentials of conversations on everyday topics."

Here are examples from a Quebec government document of the kind of French skills out-of-province students will need by the time they graduate.

Be able to understand:

• Information from a neighbour about activities planned for a neighbourhood party.
• A description in a TV news report of the effects of a flood.
• A colleague's story about an overseas trip.
• A friend's explanation of her decision to accept a part-time job offer.
• How to follow a roommate's instructions for paying the rent with a mobile app.

Speak well enough to:

• Reserve a hotel room over the phone and inquire about the services offered.
• Describe a health issue to a nurse on the provincial health phone line.
• Recount to a friend the high points of an outing.
• Explain to a new work colleague the procedure for filing for overtime
• Offer advice on finding accommodation to someone who has just arrived in Quebec.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 14, 2023.