Established in 2014, the French as a Second Language Consortium is made up of ministers of education across Canada, with the exception of Quebec, whose mandate is to support and promote student achievement as it relates to learning French as a second language (FSL).

While provinces and territories are uniquely responsible for the development and implementation of FSL programs, the French as a Second Language Consortium Committee (FSL Consortium Committee) endeavours to realize the following goals collaboratively:

  • Stay informed about FSL education across Canada.
  • Identify common needs related to FSL instruction and learning and develop resources to meet these needs.
  • Promote student success in FSL programs.

French as a Second Language in Canada: Resources designed to inspire!

To facilitate access to all FSL Consortium Committee–developed resources, the inspirefsl.ca portal was launched in spring 2025. This digital space features the following professional development resources:

 

Strengthening Engagement in French as a Second Language

This unique resource combines relevant research and authentic examples from classrooms across Canada to illustrate numerous practices that educators have found to be effective in increasing student engagement in French second-language education. Strengthening Engagement in French as a Second Language comprises six short videos and a reflection guide.

 

I can speak French! Increasing the oral proficiency of French second-language learners

This resource features the following three key components:

  • a research compendium that compiles and synthesizes current research findings related to FSL learners’ oral competences;
  • a collection of effective teaching strategies and instructional practices, developed by FSL educators across Canada, to illustrate how the research on oral competences can be applied in FSL programming; and
  • guidelines and an accompanying video to inspire FSL teachers to use student-centred online conversations as a means to promote authentic oral communication.

Funds for these projects have been provided by participating provinces and territories through CMEC and by the Government of Canada through Canadian Heritage.