media Kit
Media Kit
Are you looking to find out more about PBENB? Do you have a newsworthy item to share about us?
To request an interview or obtain additional information, contact us at info@pbenb.com
In the meantime, we’ve put together key information that summarizes our work and vision:
PBENB Facts
- PBENB has 2400 members and is growing very quickly.
- PBENB has offered programs to assist Anglophone students in learning French as a second language since 1977. PBENB has played a crucial role in helping Parents in New Brunswick defend against government intentions to abolish French Immersion in 2007 and 2023
- PBENB office is located in the bilingual City of Moncton in Canada’s only officially bilingual Province.
- Keith Spicer, Canada’s first Commissioner of Official Languages, helped found the organization;
- PBENB is Canada’s largest non-francophone organization promoting FSL in New Brunswick;
- PBENB believes the ability to communicate in both official languages fosters creative, empathetic, and open-minded citizens
- PBENB believes that knowing both official languages opens the door to far-reaching opportunities and enhances Canada’s social and economic prosperity;
- PBENB informs and influences all levels of government and education stakeholders; and
- PBENB provides youth and parents across the country with a variety of targeted activities.
The French as a Second Language Landscape Today
Our two official languages are an essential tool for the inclusion and integration of all Canadians into our diverse society. FSL education in Canada is supported through Official Language in Education Agreements between the Federal and Provincial/Territorial Governments.
- 84 % of Canadians are in favour of bilingualism (2016 OCOL Survey);
- 2015-16 marked the 50th anniversary of French Immersion;
- French Immersion enrolment has grown from 30 students in St-Lambert, QC to over 443,390 annually across Canada (2018-2019);
- Over 1.3 million students were enrolled in a FSL program in Canada in the 2018-19 school year;
- FSL education is so popular that today more non-Francophones in Canada speak French than there are native Francophones;
- Millions of Canadians now speak French as a result of the federal and provincial governments’ commitment to official languages;
- Canadians have embraced our two official languages whether their mother tongue is French, English or one of hundreds of other languages;
- 2019 marked the 50th Anniversary of the Official Languages Act. All federal political parties have agreed to modernize the existing Act to better reflect today’s diverse Canadian society; and
- PBENB supports the modernization of the Act. Setting out an overarching vision within a modernized Official Languages Act will ensure all Canadians have the opportunity to learn their second official language. It also affirms the benefits of a bilingual and multilingual Canada.
Our Expectations
We expect our elected officials to champion and promote official language bilingualism and linguistic duality. We believe this reinforces our identity and culture, and that second official language education benefits all New Brunswickers.
- Every New Brunswicker who wishes to learn the other official language can do so.
- Living in New Brunswick, Canada’s only officially bilingual province, offers major advantages.
- Bilingualism and bilingual New Brunswickers provide us with a major economic advantage, making a difference for the Canadian economy in global markets;
- Linguistic duality and our two official languages are an integral part of our identity and a fundamental value of our province;
- New Brunswick provides a genuine, immersive bilingual experience, where English and French are not just taught but lived every day. Whether you’re at school, work, or in the community, opportunities to use both official languages are everywhere.
- Modernizing the Official Languages Act is a timely opportunity to making it more inclusive, thereby better meeting the needs of today’s diverse society and responding to the increased demand for FSL learning programs in our province
As a non-profit organization, we can’t do what we do without your support.
We need YOU!
Become a Member
Join our network and get FSL resources, support, and insider-info only available to members.
Volunteer
We’re always looking for new volunteers who are ready to help young people learn and use French.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.
© 2024 Parents for Bilingual Education. All rights reserved.