Library volunteering
It’s curious to be an English-speaker in Quebec. We’re learning French as fast as we can. My hubbie thinks it’s fun. I enjoy it, too, but it’s also really a hard language for English-speakers to learn, I think. We’re persevering.
Folks who live here full-time are considered minority language speakers if their primary language is English. So there are reasonably substantial outreach programs to the minority Anglophones, it seems, and our small recently-established English language outreach center in Rimouski (via Heritage Bas St. Laurent), which includes an English-language library, along with health promotion (including mental health and elder abuse) and youth initiatives, is funded by various grant programs through the province. It’s an expansion of a longer-running non-profit initiative based in the Anglophone summer community based in Metis, about 30 minutes north of Rimouski.
I’ve been a library volunteer since we acquired our house here, starting in the summer of 2018. It’s a bit tricky, since I need to navigate the French language interface for our Bas-St-Laurent library web system.
However, it’s been fun, seeing the assortment of folks who visit and check out books, need help (occasionally), and who want to improve their English (older Francophones and young families who want their children to be bilingual), as well as native English-speakers, like me, who are glad to show up and help (and learn a bit about Quebec culture in the process, through tea-time and library visitors.)
Folks who live here full-time are considered minority language speakers if their primary language is English. So there are reasonably substantial outreach programs to the minority Anglophones, it seems, and our small recently-established English language outreach center in Rimouski (via Heritage Bas St. Laurent), which includes an English-language library, along with health promotion (including mental health and elder abuse) and youth initiatives, is funded by various grant programs through the province. It’s an expansion of a longer-running non-profit initiative based in the Anglophone summer community based in Metis, about 30 minutes north of Rimouski.
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| A book acquired at the annual summer book sale in Metis |
I’ve been a library volunteer since we acquired our house here, starting in the summer of 2018. It’s a bit tricky, since I need to navigate the French language interface for our Bas-St-Laurent library web system.
However, it’s been fun, seeing the assortment of folks who visit and check out books, need help (occasionally), and who want to improve their English (older Francophones and young families who want their children to be bilingual), as well as native English-speakers, like me, who are glad to show up and help (and learn a bit about Quebec culture in the process, through tea-time and library visitors.)
You are such an inspiration, Lisa.
ReplyDeleteThat's nice of you, Maggie; the interaction is just as helpful for me, I think, than the helping out at the library part!
DeleteI admire your effort and perseverance. But how much richer life in Quebec is when you aren't limited only to English.
ReplyDeleteThat's for sure! As our French capabilities get better, we're definitely more appreciative of the diversity of life here.
DeleteI got the impression that most English-speakers in Quebec also speak French, but the same is not true of the Francophones. In any case, libraries are often one of the best places to volunteer.
ReplyDelete