Cultural events like Carnaval promoting bilingualism
The enjoyment of entertainment and unique treats aside, Red Deer’s Carnaval event on Saturday also shone a light on bilingualism and what the French language means to Canadians outside Quebec.
Carnaval, a much-larger and long-running cultural event in Quebec City, goes for 10 days each February.
Serge Gingras, former regional director in Red Deer for the Association Canadienne française de l’Alberta (ACFA), believes events like Carnaval (in Red Deer) help young kids enrolled in French Immersion realize their new language skills can be applied outside the classroom.
“If a child is in a French or Francophone school, that’s the only place in Red Deer they’d typically hear French, so the purpose of our organization is to invite the community to attend our cultural events throughout the year,” says Gingras, noting, in addition to Carnaval, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day and Canada Day.