Education

6 SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS • SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 2023 EDUCATION GUIDE BY TODD LEWYS A s educational institutions go, the Université de Saint-Boniface enjoys a rare distinction: It is the only postsecondary francophone institution in all western Canada It's a distinction that this respected educational institution takes to hear, and its continuing education division is no exception. "The link we have with the francophone community and communi- ty in general is strong," says Aileen Clark, director of USB's continuing education division. "We have to support the community around us and be a pillar in it." And while USB's continuing education division offers many pro- grams, ranging from conversational French to a French program for civ- il servants to Advanced Level French – their focus is on providing a great learning experience to the diverse array of people who take the classes. "As a link to the community, our intrinsic motivation is to support the people with our language classes," says Clark. "By that I mean we want to dig in deeper with people, to help them gain a better understanding of the language by delivering high quality programs." Essentially, each program is designed to share the love of the French language. "We want to welcome people to the different programs – anyone with the love of the French language is welcome to come and learn it with us." The overall idea, says Clark, is to make learning French fun, and use- ful. "We work with all sorts of different clients to support language train- ing," she explains. "People learn French to travel, to help their kids in school, to use as public servants, and in other areas, such as healthcare." As fun as each program is, it's also practical. Students are taught the nuances of the language, so they can communicate clearly. That comes in very handy in a health care setting, says Clark. "If a French speaking person is admitted to the hospital, it's very im- portant that they receive communication in their first language. That makes it easier to meet their immediate needs." Then, because a nurse or doctor (hopefully both) is communicating clearly with the patient, they can then quickly pinpoint what the prob- lem is and administer appropriate, highly focused care. "Little things can get missed, and so when you can understand the other person, you can pick up on the nuances," she says. The good will generated by providing such considerate, loving care is immeasurable, notes Clark. "It all comes back to contributing to the development of the com- munity. People appreciate it when others take the time to learn their language so they can provide better services to the francophone com- munity." At the same time, the programs at USB are all designed to provide a fertile learning ground for the French language. "As I said before, we always want to welcome people here. Anyone who loves the French language is well received here." Turns out, there's something else that's unique about USB: its teach- ers all come from different backgrounds. "We have teachers here that come from all over the world," she says. UNIVERSITÉ DE SAINT-BONIFACE CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 Université de Saint-Boniface rilled TO SHARE LOVE OF FRENCH With Community

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