Canada has two official languages due to its colonial heritage – English and French. The vast majority of residents speak one or the other and many people have a good working knowledge of both. Both are taught in schools across the country. Visitors to the country should be aware that the main language in the province of Quebec is French and English is a minority language there. New Brunswick is officially bilingual too and other provinces will have communities that speak French as a first language.

It is the policy that children begin learning whichever language is not their first language at a young age and this policy has been in place for many years, so expats who are just arriving in the country should not notice a great deal of difference between the generations, although in rural areas there may be some differences with stronger dialects and a more widespread use of native languages.

The bilingual laws of the country mean that residents are able to use either French or English in the courts or with any dealings with the federal government. All documents are published in both languages. The business languages are both English and French but it will depend which company you are working for and the region that you are in as to which language you will be expected to use.

Moving to Canada means that you must be able to speak at least one of these languages well. If you do not have good language skills you will find it harder to find work and integrate into the local community. A good level of fluency in one or the other is required and if you want to move to Quebec, fluency in French is essential before your application for a visa can be considered. As the country is one of the largest in the world you will find that there are some regional variations in dialect but this is not a major problem to overcome.

Television programmes are either in English or French and may have either subtitles or dubbing, particularly in areas such as Quebec, where one language is stronger than the other. The majority of programming is in English to begin with, although French-made programming is becoming more popular outside of the main French-speaking areas.

Canada also has a number of languages which are spoken by the native Indian people. There are 11 main groups of languages, but a total of 65 dialects. Most of these are not expected to survive, but languages such as Cree, Ojibway and Inukitut have enough people with a fluent knowledge of the language to be able to survive for a long period of time. Some of these languages have equal status with English and French in some provinces. The territory of Nunavut has given official status to Inukitut and Inuinnaqtun. The Northwest Territories has 9 Indian languages with official status alongside French and English including Cree, North Slavey and Chipewyan. Residents have the right to use these languages when dealing with the government and other official organisations.

The cities in Canada have many good language schools where you can learn English and French on short or long-term courses. In addition to this there is a programme which is being offered by the Canadian government for those who have permanent residency status. The courses are free and are known as LINC. This programme will assess your current language skills and guide you in the right direction of classes that are suitable for you. In most urban areas there are both full and part time courses and if there are no LINC classes in your area they can help you to find an alternative class. You also have the option to contact local colleges and universities as these often run regular classes but fees may be payable.

It is common for those who have very good language skills and appropriate qualifications to use this to their advantage by teaching. Teachers of both languages are in demand in some regions and there are many teaching positions, both in language school and colleges. Translation work is available but this is not as common as so many of the population have a good knowledge of both languages.

Useful Resources

LINC
Tel: 1 888 242 2100
www.servicesfornewcomers.cic.gc.ca