Director of the French Cohort Program, Rémi Léger, shares some insights on the politics of language in Canada.

French Cohort Program director and Political Science professor, Rémi Léger says bilingual learning creates depth in worldview

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Hailing from New Brunswick, Canada’s only officially bilingual province, professor Rémi Léger has always been deeply interested in the politics of language.

A professor in SFU’s French Cohort Program (FCP), Léger teaches political science in both English and French. The FCP provides a unique path to a bachelor’s degree for students who are interested in studying topics such as international diplomacy, Canadian politics and history, and the French language. In addition to studying theories and acquiring knowledge in these areas, students are encouraged to practise their French-language skills through hands-on community projects and bilingual job opportunities.

Léger says being bilingual is about so much more than speaking two languages; he says it’s also about having two ways of understanding the world. By providing students an avenue to study in both of Canada’s official languages, he aims to offer them a deeper and more well-rounded understanding of Canadian politics.

“The French Cohort Program in Public & International Affairs is challenging (it’s hard to do university courses in your second or third language!) but also incredibly exciting. Our graduates are bilingual in our two official languages (and often speak a third language), have a solid understanding of Canadian politics, and have a sense of Canada’s place in the world.”