Students named bilingualism ambassadors

January 28, 2010

Marina Milenkovic and Tsion Gebremedhen are headed to Halifax next month to act as Toronto ambassadors at French for the Future's annual national youth forum.

The Richview Collegiate French Immersion students will join 28 other teens from across Canada from Feb. 13-16 in a four-day exploration of topics related to Canada's Francophone culture and the advantages and challenges of bilingualism.

The interactive nature of workshops and activities will help participants take stock of the real-life advantages of being bilingual, said Helen Coltrinari, president of French for the Future.

Marina, 17, and Tsion, 16, were chosen to participate because of their leadership and commitment to bilingualism.

For Tsion, whose first language is Amharic, mastering French as a third language was about more than the just the language itself.

"It is not simply learning another language, but also understanding and integrating oneself in another culture," she said.

Learning French for Marina, whose first language is Serbian, was important "because Canada is a country with two official languages," she added.

Through visits to key sites such as Grand-Pré, Marina and Tsion will learn about Acadian culture and how its history relates to both them and to language issues throughout the country. They will also get the chance to meet Graham Steele, Minister of Acadian Affairs of Nova Scotia, and present their ideas at a special closing Gala Dinner at Pier 21.