Report of the RMC Board of Governors By the Withers' Study Group
Balanced Excellence Leading Canada's Armed Forces In The New Millenium
4500-240 (ADM (HR-Mil))
24 September 1998
Cross-reference p. 49 of 63 of official printed copy of report
RMC has made a major effort to create a bilingual environment with considerable success. There is a clear understanding that military leadership in the Canadian context requires a truly bilingual capability. Ensuring that RMC graduates are fully qualified in this regard is a major but difficult challenge. Approaches such as the dual language academic program and alternate French/English weeks should be very helpful in achieving the desired objective. The latter concept is sound but must be implemented more rigorously under effective supervision.
The Study Group has learned of problem areas in cadet motivation, institutional incentive, some weakness in the faculty and lack of progress in further improvement in the dual language course structure.
A major problem with the system as a whole resides in the summer second language training program at St-Jean. It has been widely criticised by both Francophones and Anglophones as "slack", with short days, undemanding program and poor quality teaching. The Study Group holds no firm general conviction about the inherent suitability of ASD in the CF. However, as with the issue of academic teaching covered above, the ASD project for language training is suspect. At a minimum the program must be scrutinised carefully. A great deal more discipline, rigor and scholarly effort appears to be required.
There is ample evidence of successful language programs with the degree of discipline and rigor necessary being run in Quebec at places such as Laval University.
At the College itself, benchmarks for monitoring language acquisition progress at earlier dates need to be established. In addition, those cadets clearly exceeding standards should be able to receive academic credit for their efforts through challenge examinations. Furthermore, the system needs to be modified to enable cadets to reach at least a good passive standard of bilingualism by the end of the third year. This in turn will create greater flexibility for the language structuring of fourth year courses. Basically there is not enough onus placed on the individual cadet to at least meet minimum standards. Facilities must be always available, but cadets need to develop greater personal incentive to become bilingual, not because it "checks" the appropriate box for graduation, but because it is an integral part of the military ethos which conditions their development as professional officers and leaders in the CF.
The Study Group recommends:
Recommendation 25: Make bilingualism more effective in the life of the College.
- Transfer summer SLT for all Francophone cadets and other officer candidates to RMC. Establish a more rigorous language program to be completed in 8 weeks versus the current 10, with no reduction in contact hours;
- Conduct all summer SLT for Anglophone RMC cadets at Laval University;
- Teach all fourth year courses in one language only, with no duplication. Approximately half should be taught in French and the other half in English. Comment: Students taking final year courses in their second language, would have the right to write major exams and major projects in their first language;
- Require all incumbent faculty to become bilingual within five years. Comment: New faculty need not necessarily be bilingual when first hired, but in cases where bilingualism is not needed at the outset would have five years to become bilingual;
- Grant academic credit for cadets exceeding language standards through the use of challenge examinations.