Fluent success: French classes have enhanced Alexandre’s life in Canada

Alexandre Maciel and his family came to Canada intending to return to Brazil in two years, but the pandemic changed that. Now that his stay has become permanent, Alexandre has signed up for French classes in Canada with Collège Boréal. His CLIC Adapté classes have helped him understand things that are essential for career growth in Canada. More importantly, learning French means he can be more actively involved in his daughters’ education.
In this article, Alexandre explains why he’s signed up for French classes in Canada, and how learning the language will help him succeed in future.
- Name: Alexandre Araujo Maciel
- Country of origin: Brazil
- Arrival in Canada: March 2019
- Currently lives in Sarnia, Ontario
- Occupation: Senior Registry Officer, Ministry of Justice and Public Security, Government of Brazil
Share the highlights of your immigration journey to Ontario. And, what were some of the biggest challenges you faced when you first arrived in Canada?
At the time when Brazilian labour laws changed in 2017, my wife was an HR manager at a private company in Brazil. The new legislation was essentially copied from both Canada and the US, so to adjust herself to this new legal environment, she decided to do her post-graduation in HR here in Canada.
We arrived as temporary residents for just two years, and because I work for the federal government, I didn’t have any plans to stay in Canada, but then COVID happened, and in 2020, everything closed. All of a sudden, we were forced to stay at home, with two small kids, no interactions with the external world, and trying to teach our children English and French: both languages that we did not master.
At the same time, Brazil collapsed due to the pandemic, to the point that it was simply too dangerous to go back. We decided to stay for as long as possible at least until the situation was solved. We didn’t know how long it would take, so we applied for permanent residency.
What motivated you to enroll in the CLIC Adapté program at Collège Boréal?
I could speak a little French, which is very basic, and then as soon as I got my permanent residency, I applied to CLIC Adapté to try to improve my French cost-effectively. When you learn French in a country like Brazil, you’ve learned the standard version, and Canadian French is not the same, especially concerning verbal skills. Some accents are very hard to understand. So I enrolled to learn French with CLIC Adapté to understand certain Canadian accents.
How has the program enhanced your confidence in communicating in English or French in social settings as well as in job interviews or at the workplace?
When you look at positions in the Government of Canada, French helps a lot. I believe that CLIC Adapté has helped a lot. The test they give you is very similar to the government test for the language. They have similar questions and similar ways to answer them. For someone with my background, learning French improves your chances of finding a public job.
Besides improving your language proficiency, how did the program contribute to your sense of belonging to the local community?
It allowed me to learn a lot of different subjects and a lot of different vocabulary. It gives me the psychological strength to try to use French with Canadians. Sarnia is not fully bilingual, though we do have a French-speaking community here. My daughters attend a French school, but you don’t see people using French in normal daily activities, such as in the supermarket. I learned French across different subjects that are quite useful. For example, you have a chapter in French that discusses legal affairs or legal rights, that conveys a lot of information.
You not only learn French, but you can use these French classes as an opportunity to learn other subjects, for example, your constitutional rights, how courts work, entrepreneurship, and several others that are very important when you’re trying to adjust yourself to a new country.
This is otherwise usually not available for foreigners, But with CLIC Adapté, you can have access to this kind of information in French, and in a way that you learn not only the language but the subject itself.
How did your interactions with program facilitators, coaches/mentors, and learnings during the program prepare you for your integration into Canadian society?
My teacher was particularly good: she’s Lebanese, she’s also a migrant, so French is not her first language as well, so we had a lot of things in common and we could actually talk about a lot of things and sometimes go even beyond the content that you’re supposed to learn. I believe that makes it easier when you have a teacher with a social condition that is very similar to the student. It puts you on a level where both can understand the difficulties you’re facing. The conversation itself is more fluid.
Can you describe a specific moment or lesson that stands out to you as particularly helpful or memorable?
I used to be an entrepreneur before working for the Government of Brazil. The aspect of entrepreneurship was quite interesting. I have a legal degree from Brazil as well, so the part where they talked about the Canadian judicial system and constitutional rights was very interesting. It was something that I probably wouldn’t learn or wouldn’t research by myself.
What insights did you gain about the Canadian workplace, job search or employment in Canada?
I plan to apply for jobs in Canada to establish myself professionally in this country, at my own pace. When it comes to public positions, CLIC Adapté continues to help me.
The second objective is to keep learning and help my children with the language. We speak Portuguese as our first language, and I’ve enrolled both my daughters in French schools because when you compare Portuguese to French, it is not that different. It would be easier for them to learn how to read and write in French than in English, for example, although they do speak English now. I couldn’t help them that much in the beginning, but now I can be more useful as a parent.
Can you share any advice or tips for newcomers considering enrolling in language programs like CLIC Adapté to ease their transition and enhance their language skills?
I recommend all newcomers to study a little French or a little English, depending on where you come from, to put yourself in a better position. There’s a long waiting line if you want to start at level one. You can skip the line by learning a little bit yourself.
Looking back on your settlement and integration journey, what are you most proud of achieving, and how do you envision continuing to grow in the future?
I’m proud to be here…my family is happy in their new country. I’m proud to be accepted as a permanent resident and as a Canadian citizen. I think all these are great achievements. I don’t have any personal achievements to report yet, but I have a lot of hope regarding the future.
Can you offer any advice or tips for individuals who are considering immigrating to Ontario? What are some mistakes they must avoid or ways they can navigate the integration process more smoothly?
People must have a realistic view of their chances of succeeding in Canada. Even if you arrive here as a permanent resident, adjusting yourself takes time, and you must be aware of how difficult it is. You’re in a different culture, among different languages, and Canada is experiencing its problems: the cost of living is very limiting for most of the population. You might have a better quality of life, perhaps in another province, depending on the style and the type of profession that you have chosen and the kind of professional background you have.
If you live in Ontario and want to know more about English or French language classes offered by Collège Boréal, here’s more information.