All Eyes on Official Languages

Official languages workshops for federal public servants

These free workshops for federal public servants will help you to better understand your responsibilities and your obligations regarding official languages. You will also have the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the tools and resources available to you to support the implementation of the Official Languages Act in your organization.

 

Workshops

Objectives of the Official Languages Act

60 minutes

Learn more about the main objectives of the Official Languages Act and about its different parts.

Details

Tool for the linguistic identification of positions: Implementing section 91 of the Official Languages Act

60 minutes

Learn more about how to objectively establish the language requirements of positions during staffing processes.

Details

Bilingual meetings: Effective practices for meetings and externally sourced presentations

90 minutes

Learn more about best practices for holding effective bilingual meetings and external presentations, whether in person or virtually.

Details

Linguistic (in)security at work

60 minutes

Learn more about language insecurity, its consequences and how to create a workplace that encourages the use of both official languages.

Details
 

Communications and services to the public, including active offer

90 minutes

Learn more about how to invite the public to use one of the two official languages when communicating with or receiving services from the federal government and about the importance of doing so. Discover practical tools to improve individual and team performance when making an active offer.

Details
 

Workshop description

Objectives of the Official Languages Act
Topics
  • Mission of the Commissioner of Official Languages
  • Official languages obligations of federal institutions
  • Regions designated as bilingual for language-of-work purposes
  • Participation of English-speaking and French-speaking Canadians
  • Develo pment and vitality of official language minority communities
  • Objectively determining the language requirements of positions
  • Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages’ investigation process
Delivery
  • MS Teams virtual workshop
  • PowerPoint presentation followed by a question period  
Duration

60 minutes

 
Communications and services to the public, including active offer
Topics
  • What is the active offer?
  • Why is the active offer so important?
  • Who plays a role in making the active offer?
  • When should you make an active offer?
  • How to make an effective active offer over the phone, in person or by email.
Delivery
  • MS Teams virtual workshop
  • PowerPoint presentation followed by a question period  
Duration

90 minutes

 
Bilingual meetings: Effective practices for meetings and externally sourced presentations
Topics
  • Best practices and tools for meetings where the level of bilingualism of the employees is varied and where some employees are unilingual
  • Best practices and tools for presentations given by external groups
  • Employees’ official languages rights and federal institutions’ obligations
  • Experiences, challenges and successes in holding bilingual meetings
Delivery
  • MS Teams virtual workshop
  • PowerPoint presentation followed by a question period  
Duration

90 minutes

 
Linguistic (in)security at work
Topics
  • What is linguistic insecurity?
  • Key findings of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages’ study on language insecurity in the federal public service
  • Best practices for promoting language security in the hybrid workplace
Delivery
  • MS Teams virtual workshop
  • PowerPoint presentation followed by a question period  
Duration

60 minutes

 
Tool for the linguistic identification of positions: Implementing section 91 of the Official Languages Act
Topics
  • Highlights from the Implementing Section 91 of the Official Languages Act: A Systemic Problem report published by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages in 2020
  • What is the establishment of positions’ language requirements?
  • Linguistic profiles and staffing methods
  • Recommendations and online tools for objectively establishing the language requirements of positions during staffing processes
Delivery
  • MS Teams virtual workshop
  • PowerPoint presentation followed by a question period  
Duration

60 minutes

 

Calendar - At a glance!

  • Thursday, February 6, 2025: Objectives of the Official Languages Act
  • Thursday, February 13, 2025: Communications and services to the public, including active offer
  • Tuesday, February 18, 2025: Bilingual meetings: Effective practices for meetings and externally sourced presentations
  • Tuesday, March 4, 2025: Linguistic (in)security at work
  • Tuesday, March 11, 2025: Tool for the linguistic identification of positions: Implementing section 91 of the Official Languages Act
  • Wednesday, March 19, 2025: Bilingual meetings: Effective practices for meetings and externally sourced presentations
  • Thursday, April 3, 2025: Linguistic (in)security at work
  • Wednesday, April 9, 2025: Objectives of the Official Languages Act
  • Tuesday, April 15, 2025: Communications and services to the public, including active offer
  • Thursday, May 1, 2025: Bilingual meetings: Effective practices for meetings and externally sourced presentations
  • Wednesday, May 7, 2025: Linguistic (in)security at work
  • Thursday, May 22, 2025: Tool for the linguistic identification of positions: Implementing section 91 of the Official Languages Act
  • Tuesday, May 27, 2025: Objectives of the Official Languages Act
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