Canadian Society and Culture

Course Code: SOCE 006

Academic Year: 2025-2026

This course is designed for students whose first language is not English and who are preparing for entry into a post-secondary institution. It focuses on an examination of the official claim that Canada is an excellent example of how relative prosperity can be achieved for the majority. This course will also explore how Canada has affected, and been affected by, a number of major issues such as its colonial past, its democracy, and its cultural diversity. A recurring question throughout the course will be whether a Canadian identity is really necessary at all in contemporary Canada. A related question is whether it is really possible to speak accurately today of a single, unified Canadian "culture." In the process of examining these questions, students improve their English-language competence and study skills, as applied to academic contexts, at the low-advanced level (Common European Framework of Reference for Language B2). The course employs interactive lecture and discussion, class discussions, audio-visual presentations, small group discussions, on-line learning, case studies, and various writing and research tasks. Note: Placement into a level of the program is done through test scores. Progression to the next level requires successful completion of the previous level.