Langues Officielles Au Canada

Book excerpt: This book's purpose is to present an overview of the accomplishments of the Canadian model of official bilingualism based upon the co-existence of English-speaking & French-speaking Canadians and upon a partnership between federal & provincial governments in serving citizens' needs & interests. It outlines some historical background to these events but concentrates on the recent period & implications for contemporary Canadian life. Chapter 1 describes the context of language change, federalism as a product of demography & geography, the historical origins of the English- & French-speaking populations, the current distribution of official language groups across the country, & the context for policy making. Chapter 2 outlines the objectives pursued by the federal & provincial governments for official languages in Canada & the actions of the federal government to improve the status & use of official languages in federal institutions, to support the development of minority communities & to promote English & French throughout Canadian society. Chapter 3 reviews the major shifts in provincial policies & programs for official language minorities. Chapter 4 is a balance sheet showing the results of 3 decades of sustained effort to the English & French equal status.