The MOU will mean that all language schools in Alberta which have Languages Canada accreditation are automatically approved to use the Imagine Canada brand, which offers quality educators from all sectors a federal seal of approval for use in their overseas marketing.

All Languages Canada schools in Alberta will be eligible to use the Imagine Canada brand

The brand has proved hard to access, as provinces not the federal government decide who can use it. But Guillaum Dubreuil, manager of international affairs and marketing at Languages Canada, hopes other provinces will follow Alberta’s example.

“The federal government created the Imagine Brand and basically told the provinces, ‘We don’t know who is a recognised institution and who isn’t, so you get to decide who uses the brand,’” he told The PIE News.

“This was never a problem for university-based English programmes. But when you hit private language schools you hit somewhat of a snag, because they’re trying to figure out how to judge these schools.

He said a simpler option was to approve Languages Canada members which have already met “rigorous and well known quality standards”.

So far, less than a third of Languages Canada’s 169 public and private member schools have been approved to use the Imagine Canada brand, despite it being launched by the Department of International Affairs and Trade in 2008. Approval to use it lies in the hands of provinces, which have differing criteria across the country and can take time granting permission.

This means most schools are missing out on benefits including being able to join DFAIT-backed trade missions, use the brand on their marketing materials, and trade fully on Canada’s appeal as a study destination.

“I think that it’s really important for there to be across-the-board buy in for the brand”

With luck the Alberta MOU will spur change. However, Languages Canada faces another battle – namely to secure better public sector buy-in to the brand. According to Cath D’Amico of Trent University, who chairs Languages Canada’s marketing board, some universities are not bothering to use it despite their automatic eligibility.

“I think that it’s really important for there to be across-the-board buy-in, but there are varying degrees of interest in the public sector,” she said. “Without it, even if it’s a superficial or a perceived benefit of being part of that brand, we are not giving a unified front or elevating Canada’s profile.”