Judges benefit from Cont Ed program to improve their English
Twelve judges from across Quebec are at Concordia this week for an intensive course in conversational English, thanks to a pilot program between Continuing Education and the Conseil de la magistrature de Québec.
The 12 judges come from Montreal, Amos, Rouyn-Noranda, Rimouski, St. Jerome and Granby, and from various kinds of law: civil, criminal, and youth.
Jean-Pierre Marcotte, the secretary of the council, said it’s the first time English-language courses have been given at a university.
“While this is no doubt the province where the need for bilingualism is the most likely to be found, the frequency of use of the English language varies from one region to the next.
“It is important for the judges to have access to programs adapted to their needs, both for learning the language as well as for maintaining their language skills.”
The Conseil hired AnneMarie Taravella, who is finishing a master’s in translation, to organize the courses with Continuing Education.
Academic Coordinator Charles Brown designed a self-assessment questionnaire to determine the language capabilities of each participant and probe their expectations of the training.
He designed a 32.5-hour course, which is being taught by ESL instructor Patricia Tokai March 20 to 24 from 9 to 5 p.m. every day.
Maureen Habib, the administrator of the Language Institute in Continuing Education, was pleased about the initiative, saying, “It is a pilot project we hope will recur.”
The method used will be the “communicative method” used for all the Language Institute’s courses, but with a difference, Habib said. “A special course book has been prepared which includes such topics as gun control, justice, and the right to die.”