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Official Languages
By Jacynthe de Saint-Hilaire
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Keys to respecting the culture and values of official languages in our organization
- Managers must explain that the organization is becoming bilingual, not the individual employees.
- Stress that the transition will be gradual, and that it will be flexible and adapted to the organization's needs.
- Solicit employees' opinions on the new course you have charted and encourage their participation. This is the key to winning their support.
- Share responsibility. As partners, each of you must buy into the new bilingual culture.in both official languages.
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Did you know?
Source: Canadian Heritage
- Canada's French-speaking population ranks second only to France worldwide. It is larger than the Francophone populations of Switzerland and Belgium combined.
- The number of Francophones outside Quebec equals the population of Saskatchewan.
- One Canadian in four has French as a mother tongue and close to one Canadian in three speaks French.
- 1.6 million French-speaking Canadians have an ancestry other than French or English.
Over the past 20 years, the number of bilingual Canadians has doubled. For a growing number of Canadians, bilingualism has become a personal asset and an important part of their national identity. Proud of this diversity and eager to improve the equity and quality of their services, many organizations are deciding to operate in both official languages.