Quebec’s English-language universities embrace new French requirements as fall cohort begins

For this year’s incoming class at Quebec’s three English-language universities, learning French is becoming part of their undergraduate experience.

Under an agreement struck with the Quebec government in June, undergraduate students at McGill, Concordia and Bishop’s University who begin their studies in fall 2026 or later will be assessed on their French-language skills, beginning with the 2029-30 graduating cohort.

Read also: Quebec’s Anglo universities prepare to meet French language targets

Sixty per cent of those students are expected to demonstrate comprehension of short conversations dealing with common activities or situations — level four out of 12 on the Quebec Scale of French Proficiency Levels, equivalent to A2 on the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
 
Reese Raphael, a first-year McGill student from Toronto, who rates her French-speaking ability as “terrible”, believes the government expectation is a positive development. “Being bilingual in Canada is an asset,” says Ms. Raphael, who is taking a beginner French course and hopes to pursue a career in politics.

The provincial government will provide the three universities with a combined $20 million annually over the next eight years to help international and out-of-province undergraduate students improve their French. If McGill or Concordia falls short of the target, each university will lose $1,500 in funding for every student below the threshold. Bishop’s is exempt from the financial penalties. 

Students from France and other francophone countries are included in the 60 per cent, as are non-Quebec residents who studied in French at least three years in high school or at the post-secondary level.  

New programs roll out 

Full-time students from outside of Quebec and international students will benefit from a tuition exemption for eligible French courses comparable to that of a Quebec resident. 

Carys Grey, a first-year student at McGill University from the U.S., says that becoming bilingual was one of the motivating factors for moving to Montreal. “I wanted to learn a new language, I didn’t want to be stuck in a U.S. bubble,” says Ms. Grey, who is taking a beginner French class at McGill.  

Each university has also been expanding optional opportunities for French-language learning.  
 
Bishop’s has rolled out Oui Experience, a campus-wide initiative that provides a series of French immersion experiences including spaces to practice conversational French, weekly “sing-a-longs” from Québécois artists, art workshops and cultural outings. The university also launched a Multimedia Language Lab with lessons and exercises for French learning. 
 
At Concordia, a new initiative Oui Can Help! provides one-on-one conversation sessions, opportunities to practice in small groups and drop-in sessions with a peer tutor. The university also has regular workshops and events targeted towards French learning. 
 
Isabelle Rogers, a student and academic and advocacy coordinator of the Concordia Student Union, says that the union, faculty and departmental associations have also stepped up efforts to make French learning accessible and fun. She notes, however, that any future penalties incurred by the university will be felt most by the students.  
 
“With the current austerity crisis Concordia is facing, any financial impact will be felt on a microscale,” said Ms. Rogers in a statement. “Quebec has been monetarily punishing Concordia, McGill, Bishop’s and anglophone CEGEPs …  The result has been a severe blow to our deficit.” 

Along with similar extracurricular opportunities, McGill will offer an immersive French program during the summer. The university is also piloting a French Course Award in the fall, winter and summer terms of 2026-27. The award covers tuition for students with little or no prior French knowledge who participate in for-credit introductory French language courses. “At McGill, we are proud of our dual identity: deeply rooted in Québec with a strong global presence,” says Natallia Liakina, associate provost, Rayonnement du français at McGill. “This agreement, in addition to enabling us to create new awards starting this year, is allowing us to enhance existing opportunities to learn French and help deepen our students’ integration into the Montréal community.”

The first cohort will be assessed against the new targets by the time they graduate in 2029-30.