导读
随着CRS（综合排名系统）积分水涨船高，越来越多的国际学生和临时居民选择通过学习法语提高自己在加拿大移民系统中的竞争力，法语依然成为了不少人获得加拿大永久居民身份（PR）的“加分项”。对此，一些移民律师和国际学生分享了他们的经验和看法。神通小助手将带大家一起精读本文，揭秘为什么“学好法语”成为越来越多移民的必备选择。
Windsor-Essex 的人口正在增长，其中一个原因是国际移民。但对于许多新移民来说，一个日益增长的挑战是如何获得加拿大的永久居民身份。
The population of Windsor-Essex is growing, and one driver of that is international immigration. But an increasing challenge for many newcomers is getting permanent residence in Canada.
population (noun): 人口
driver (noun): 推动因素，原因
newcomers (noun): 新移民，指的是刚到一个地方的人
permanent residence (noun): 永久居民身份
opt for (verb): 选择
route (noun): 途径，方法
opt for (verb): 选择
route (noun): 途径，方法
在温莎大学获得机械工程硕士学位花费了42,000美元后，Harbal Deep Sidhu 现在每月支付2,000美元来学习法语，以提高他获得永久居民身份的机会——这是新移民中日益增长的趋势。
After spending $42,000 on his masters in mechanical engineering at the University of Windsor, Harbal Deep Sidhu is now paying $2,000 a month to learn French to advance his chances at getting Permanent Residence (PR) in Canada — an increasing trend among newcomers.
spending (verb): 花费，消费
masters (noun): 硕士学位
advance (verb): 推进，改善
chances (noun): 机会
trend (noun): 趋势，潮流
“我非常担心。从我毕业以来，我看到有关获得永久居民身份的法律和规定发生了极大的变化。现在，分数线非常高，即使是硕士或博士生也很难达到，”这位25岁的年轻人说。
"I'm very much concerned. From the time I've graduated, I have seen extreme changes to the laws and regulations to get permanent residency now. The cutoff points are very high, which is very difficult even for a masters or PhD student," the 25-year-old said.
concerned (adjective): 担心的，忧虑的
extreme (adjective): 极端的
cutoff points (noun): 截止分数线（指达到某个标准所需的最低分数或要求）
“所以，我们通过学习法语获得积分，我们可以把这些分数用在我们的永久居民申请上。”
"So, we get points for learning French and we can use it in our PR application."
points (noun): 积分，用于积分系统中
PR application (noun): 永久居民身份申请
获得永久居民身份的竞争越来越激烈。截至1月，加拿大预计拥有302万名临时居民，但今年仅有395,000个永久居民名额。因此，Sidhu 说，学习法语的热潮也在增加。
The pursuit for PR is becoming cutthroat. As of January, Canada is estimated to have 3.02 million temporary residents but there are only 395,000 PR spots available this year. Hence, Sidhu said, the rush to learn French.
pursuit (noun): 追求
cutthroat (adjective): 激烈的，竞争非常激烈的
estimated (verb): 估算，估计
rush (noun): 匆忙，急于做某事
这位来自印度旁遮普的国际学生表示，虽然他在语言上挣扎，但他每天“约两个小时”练习法语，以增强他的申请竞争力。他担心在下一轮抽签中，分数线会更高，并希望学习法语能成为他的救命稻草。
While struggling with the language, the international student from Punjab, India, said he has been practicing it rigorously "around two hours every day" to bolster his application. He worries that in the next draw, the cutoff points would be higher and hopes learning French becomes his saving grace.
struggling (verb): 挣扎，努力克服困难
rigorously (adverb): 严格地，认真地
bolster (verb): 支持，增强
saving grace (noun): 救命稻草，能够带来好运的因素（指在困难时刻可以改变局面的事物）
Harbal Deep Sidhu，温莎大学的国际学生，怀疑至少需要六个月才能达到移民部门要求的法语水平，但他希望能在今年晚些时候申请永久居民身份，因为他在工作许可证上只剩下两年时间。
Harbal Deep Sidhu, an international student at the University of Windsor, suspects it will take him at least six months to reach the French proficiency levels needed by the immigration department but wants to apply for his PR later this year as he has only two years left on his work permit.
suspects (verb): 怀疑
proficiency (noun): 熟练，精通
work permit (noun): 工作许可证
Sidhu 不放过任何机会，包括购买 Duolingo 高级订阅、观看 YouTube 视频，甚至请了一位“非常昂贵”的私人法语教师。他说，他的16个月硕士学位“没有价值”，现在他面临更多的费用来获得永久居民身份。
From getting a premium Duolingo subscription to YouTube videos, Sidhu is leaving no stone unturned, including "a very expensive" private French tutor. Sidhu said his 16-month master's "was not worth it" and now more expenses await for him to gain PR.
leaving no stone unturned (idiom): 不放过任何机会（意味着做事时不会漏掉任何可能的途径）
subscription (noun): 订阅
expenses (noun): 支出，费用
He suspects it will take him at least six months to reach the proficiency levels needed by the immigration department. He wants to apply for his PR later this year, as he has only two years left on his work permit.
他怀疑至少需要六个月才能达到移民部门要求的法语水平。他希望在今年晚些时候申请永久居民身份，因为他在工作许可证上只剩下两年时间。
suspects (verb) 怀疑
proficiency (noun) 熟练度，常用于描述语言能力的高低
work permit (noun) 工作许可证：由政府发放的文件，允许外国人在某国合法工作
“我认为说和听很难，但阅读也很难，因为它是完全不同的语言，不同的字母表，其他方面也不同。这真的是非常辛苦的工作。”
"I think speaking and listening are difficult, but reading is difficult because it's a completely different language, different alphabets and all other things. It's really hard work."
alphabets (noun): 字母表
hard work (noun): 辛勤的工作，努力
他说，政府应该降低分数线，或者对硕士和博士生设立例外，并帮助那些“已经为加拿大经济做出贡献的申请人。”
He said the government should reduce the cutoff points or have exceptions for master's and PhD students and help applicants who "are already contributing to the economy of Canada."
exceptions (noun): 例外，特例
contributing to (verb): 贡献，贡献于
“我正在申请一个法语认证，这将再次花费我钱。我仍然在这个国家投资。我没有得到任何回报。”
"I'm going for a French certification that will again cost me money. I'm still investing in this country. I'm not getting back anything in return."
certification (noun): 认证，证书
investing (verb): 投资
in return (phrase): 作为回报
Better French, more points: Immigration lawyer
移民律师：法语更好，积分更多
居住在多伦多的移民律师 Lou Janssen Dangzalan 说，他已经向客户建议了两年时间，将学习法语作为提高综合排名系统（CRS）积分的备选方案之一。
Lou Janssen Dangzalan, a Toronto-based immigration lawyer, said he has been advising his clients for two years now to learn French as one of their backup plans to improve the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores.
advising (verb): 建议，提供意见
backup plans (noun): 备用方案，预备计划
Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) (noun): 综合排名系统，加拿大移民用来评估申请人资格的系统
CRS 是加拿大移民、难民和公民事务部（IRCC）用来评估移民申请人是否符合永久居民申请资格的排名系统，依据的因素包括年龄、教育水平、英语能力和工作经验。每两周，IRCC 会抽取一个 CRS 排名，具有该分数或更高分数的申请人将被邀请提交文件以获得永久居民卡。
CRS is a ranking system used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for immigrants applying for a permanent residency, using factors like age, level of education, English proficiency and work experience. Every two weeks, IRCC draws a CRS rank and applicants with that score or higher are invited to submit documents to receive a permanent resident card.
rank (noun): 排名
proficiency (noun): 熟练度
draw (noun): 抽取（用于选拔或筛选的过程）
“最明显的原因是，如果你把法语作为第二语言学习，本质上你可以增加你的 CRS 积分，从而增加你被抽取的机会，”他说。
"The most apparent reason being if you pursue French as a second language, essentially you stand to increase your CRS points, and that increases your chances to get drawn," he said.
apparent (adjective): 明显的，显而易见的
pursue (verb): 追求，致力于
stand to (phrase): 可能会，可能发生（指有很高的概率会发生某事）
“另一个原因是，你有可能被归类为法语族群，在快速通道下，意味着你可以受益于法语类别选拔，这一类别的分数线较低。”
"The other thing is that you receive the possibility of being classified as a Francophone under Express Entry and that means that you could benefit from Francophone category based selection, which has a lower cutoff score."
classified (verb): 分类，归类
Francophone (noun): 法语使用者，指讲法语的人
cutoff score (noun): 截止分数线
他表示，这是他一年前半向一位客户建议的，而这“显著提高”了他的永久居民积分。
He said that's what he advised a client of his, a year and a half ago, and it "significantly increased" his points for PR.
significantly (adverb): 显著地，明显地
“我一直在成功地劝说更多的人，不论是咨询我还是成为我们客户的人，把学习法语作为一种选择，作为他们最终的保障。”
"I've successfully been trying to convince more and more of the people who consult with me or who are clients with us to pursue French as an alternative, as their ultimate backstop."
convince (verb): 说服
alternative (noun): 替代方案
backstop (noun): 保障，后盾，指在关键时刻提供帮助的保障措施
Dangzalan 说，许多持有三年有效期的研究生工作许可证的国际学生正在选择这一途径。
Dangzalan said many international students, holding postgraduate work permits which have a limited validity maximum of three years, are opting for this route.
holding (verb): 持有
postgraduate (adjective): 研究生的
opting for (verb): 选择，决定采取某种方式
如果一个人的法语水平达到加拿大语言基准（CLB）5分（满分10分），Dangzalan 说，他们就可以获得法语流动工作许可证。
If one speaks French at a Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) level equivalent to five out of 10, Dangzalan said they can qualify for a Francophone mobility work permit.
equivalent (adjective): 相等的，相当的
qualify for (verb): 有资格获得
mobility work permit (noun): 流动工作许可证
“人们应该至少争取达到五分，然后努力提升到七分。法语双语能力在 CRS 中获得的积分，每提高一个等级，都会显著增加，最高可以增加50分。”
"People should aim for a minimum of five and then work their way up to seven. [Higher] the points that you get as a matter of bilingualism for your CRS under Express Entry, increases dramatically by a factor of 50 points."
aim for (verb): 争取，目标是
dramatically (adverb): 急剧地，显著地
bilingualism (noun): 双语能力
Better career opportunities: newcomer
新移民：更好的职业机会
对于像 Amangel Bhullar 这样的其他人来说，学习法语是为了获得更好的机会，特别是政府职位，这些职位需要法语流利的候选人。
For others like Amangel Bhullar, a PhD student at the University of Windsor, it's about getting access to better opportunities, especially governmental jobs that need French speaking candidates.
getting access to (phrase): 获得进入某事的机会
candidates (noun): 候选人
Bhullar 说，对于国际学生和持工作许可证的人来说，学习法语“在永久居民申请过程中具有竞争优势”。
Speaking about international students and work permit holders learning French "to be competitive in the PR process." Bhullar said it is "surely an edge."
edge (noun): 优势，竞争优势（在竞争中带来好处）
这位32岁的年轻人在2022年成为加拿大公民，她表示，在当前的就业市场中，掌握额外语言可以提供竞争优势。
The 32-year-old became a citizen in 2022 and said in the present job market, knowing an extra language gives the competitive edge.
extra (adjective): 额外的，附加的
“我正在学习法语，这可以帮助我在研发、研究和政府工作方面打开更多的机会。”
"I'm learning French, which could help me open doors in my R&D, research and the government side of things," she said.
open doors (phrase): 打开机会的大门，意味着提供新的机会或可能性
R&D (noun): 研发（Research and Development 的缩写）
“如今，我看到很多双语职位出现。由于就业市场在变化，他们正在寻找更多有竞争力的人，我学习法语是为了保持自己的竞争力。”
"Nowadays, I see a lot of bilingual jobs are coming up. Since the job market is changing and they're looking for more competitive people, I am learning French to keep myself in the competition."
coming up (phrasal verb): 出现，逐渐变得流行或被提起
in the competition (phrase): 参与竞争
Bhullar 说，她学习法语的唯一障碍是正确发音，可能需要在 Boreal College 学习三年才能流利。
Bhullar said her only hurdle with French is learning correct pronunciations and that it might take her three years at Boreal College to be fluent enough.
hurdle (noun): 障碍，困难
fluently (adverb): 流利地
