Good Practices - Products

Public Service Commission of Canada: spotlight on bilingualism

Shining the spotlight on bilingualism every day is one of the Commission's ways of raising awareness. Mascots and pins are all part of the effort to increase the visibility of the principle of respecting both official languages. In 2003, the Commission stepped up its promotional efforts by developing a national segment of the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie. Shows, tributes, games, meetings, and networking brought Francophones and francophiles closer together. This initiative was well received at the Commission.

Contact: Helen Lacroix, helen.lacroix@psc-cfp.gc.ca

Writing Tips of the Month from the Translation Bureau of the Public Works and Government Services Canada

Writing rules to guarantee effective communication. Solutions to common language problems based on reliable sources and Canadian usage. Visit our site regularly for new tips in English and French every month.

We are convinced that you will find the tips below useful.

This information is also available in the Link section under the title: The Language Nook of the Government of Canada.

Contact:  Denise Fournier, denise.fournier@pwgsc.gc.ca

Notepads with Tips for Correctional Service Canada Employees on How to Improve their Second Language Skills.

Correctional Service Canada has provided its employees with notepads containing practical tips on using their second official language and developing their language skills. Each page provides employees in bilingual regions with sound advice to encourage them to develop and use their second language skills.

"Take a cooking course in French / Prenez un cours de cuisine en anglais, Go shopping in a francophone community / Allez magasiner dans une collectivité anglophone" are just two examples of the tips found in the notepad.

Don't just think about it, do it.

Contact: Zoulikha Kouider, kouiderzo@csc-scc.gc.ca

Words about Grains in Canada at the Canadian Grain Commission

Grain terminology in English and French is now available to the public in a glossary on the Canadian Grain Commission’s web site.

The online CGC Glossary is a user-friendly database with over 2700 entries pertaining to grain inspection, grading, weighing, sampling, research and other related activities. This glossary, available to all, serves as a tool to encourage consistent use of terminology in agricultural documents while promoting official languages in Canada.

Contact: Louise Vandale, lvandale@grainscanada.gc.ca

Western Official Languages Newsletter – Coup de pouce

Coup de pouce is an electronic monthly newsletter addressing official languages issues of interest to the western provinces. The Pacific Federal Council currently has the lead, with monthly content provided by all four regions. Each province's edition features a combination of western regional and provincial content. It is an excellent example of the synergy achieved through western collaborative initiatives regarding official languages.

Every month, the format consists of a front page of provincial interest, a word of the month, an official language minority community profile, a best practice, a website (of western or national interest) and upcoming provincial events. The translation of the western content of the bulletin is graciously provided by the Canada Revenue Agency, Pacific Region.

Coup de pouce is distributed electronically to specific audiences and posted on each of the Western Federal Council sites at the following addresses:

British Columbia: http://pfc.gc.ca
Alberta: http://afc.gc.ca/collaborative_initiatives/aldn/index-e.cfm
Saskatchewan: http://publiservice.gc.ca/committees/scsfo-cffs/menu_e.html (available only on the internal Public Service Network)
Manitoba: http://mfc-cfm.gc.ca
Leads:
British Columbia: David Cowie
Canada Revenue Agency: Laurette Drolet

Contributors:
Alberta: James Richardson,
Saskatchewan: Arline Trew,
Manitoba: Michel Loiselle,

From Tranpost Canada: A Communicating Mouse Pad

Transport Canada has developed a mouse pad to illustrate how employees should communicate with their colleagues while respecting the language of work obligations.

Contact: Carole Savage, savagec@tc.gc.ca

A Poster to Chair Bilingual Meetings at Transport Canada

As part of a workshop on chairing bilingual and effective meetings, Transport Canada developed a poster aimed at the active offer of services describing the roles of the chairperson and participants.

Tent cards giving the same message are also available.

Contact: Carole Savage, savagec@tc.gc.ca

Linguistic Writing Tools at Export Development Canada

EDC’s internal Translation Services launched a tool to support employees writing in French. “Le Francais a la Carte”, is a monthly bulletin that highlights anglicisms and other common mistakes that are made when writing in French. This bulletin is available to all employees through EDC’s intranet, Livewire. They have also offered other tools in both official languages, such as a model French language letter, a Country and territory name lists in both official languages, and a list of currencies and ISO codes (International Organization for Standardization) in both official languages.

Also, “Grammar on line”, a join project of Translation Services and EDC’s in-house official languages teachers, is an innovative service, which supports employees who communicate in writing in their second official language. The employee forwards an electronic copy of the draft communication to “Grammar on line”, and same-day electronic editing service is provided-often within hours of the request being received.

As a result of this good practice, the overall cultural climate related to bilingualism at EDC has been positively impacted.

Contact: Hocine Toulaït, htoulait@edc.ca

The Prince Edward Island Federal Council's Official Languages Toolbox

The Official Languages Toolbox section of the Web site offers access to a wide variety of tools. Whether you are looking for information about service to the public, writing and translation, language evaluation or another topic, the site makes it easier by providing links that add to your knowledge base.

Television and radio programs are also highlighted!

A good way to retain second-language skills!

In addition, the Council members wish to work cooperatively to ensure that the Acadian and Francophone community of PEI receives services in French. The Official Languages Committee is working to meet that need. Several activities have been undertaken, such as a volunteer mentoring program for learning retention and an information fair.

For more information, please visit the Council's Web site.

Health Canada Official Languages Program Promotional Memo-Pad

Official Languages - For each one of us - this is the message that Health Canada is passing on to all employees by providing them with an official languages promotional memo-pad. It is a short, but effective, slogan and is a very simple way of raising employee awareness about official languages. The memo-pad is a vital and practical tool that is always on hand for employees to write short messages. In addition, it lists the address of the Intranet site where people can obtain more information about the Official Languages Program. The promotional memo-pad is the perfect complement to the range of tools available to Health Canada employees to keep them informed about official languages.

Health Canada is proud to share its good practices with its partners.

Contact: Ginette Pelletier, ginette_pelletier@hc-sc.gc.ca

Health Canada Monthly Official Languages Newsletters

Health Canada's Diversity and Official Languages Programs unit has taken a pro-active approach by posting a monthly official languages newsletter for all employees on Heath Canada Broadcast News. Throughout the year, various topics were addressed, such as the new official languages policies, the Directive on Language Training and Learning Retention and the Rendez‑vous de la Francophonie. In addition, as summer vacations and holidays approached, suggestions were made to all employees for bilingual messages about absences in order to remind them of the importance of communicating in both official languages, where prescribed by the duties of the position and the region.

Thanks to these topical official languages newsletters, Health Canada employees are well equipped to contribute to the advancement of the Official Languages Program within their institution.

Monthly newsletters – an effective, winning formula!

Health Canada is proud to share its good practices with its partners.

Contact: Ginette Pelletier, ginette_pelletier@hc-sc.gc.ca

Health Canada Comparison Table and Brochure on Human Resources Policies

Health Canada has developed, for its human resources community, a comparison table of former Treasury Board policies and revised Treasury Board policies that came into effect on April 1, 2004. The document, in table form, sets out the elements that have been retained and those that have been added. This comparison table is also posted on Health Canada's human resources Intranet site.

Health Canada has also developed a brochure that clearly explains the key changes of the new policies.

These are essential tools!

Health Canada is proud to share its good practices with its partners.

Contact: Ginette Pelletier, ginette_pelletier@hc-sc.gc.ca

Health Canada Poster on Bilingual Meetings

Health Canada places a great deal of importance on creating an environment conducive to the effective use of both official languages. The Department has put up a poster in all meeting rooms in regions designated as bilingual for language-of-work purposes to remind managers of their responsibilities when holding bilingual meetings. Colourful and attention-grabbing, the poster describes, in diagram form, six key elements that enable managers to ensure effective and successful meetings in both official languages. This large bilingual poster is also reversible, thus allowing for a visual presentation that corresponds to the predominant official language of the province.

Health Canada is proud to share its good practices with its partners.

Contact: ginette_pelletier@hc-sc.gc.ca

From Dialogue to Action - the Pacific Federal Council's Official Languages Toolkit

In follow up to the 2001 pilot project on providing services to the public in both official languages, the Council wanted to continue the dialogue between the community and the partner organizations. In an effort to achieve a transformation in culture that would impact daily activities, the Council created a workshop entitled "Official Languages…a matter of respect."

The goal of the workshop is to promote a change in mentality in the application of the Official Languages Act, specifically, to provide service to the public in a spirit of respectful cooperation, ultimately resulting in improvements in the areas of staffing, recognizing the needs of the Francophone community and the clients served, and shifting from an abstract rules-based approach to a more concrete values-based approach.

The workshop includes four components: a discussion on the roles of central agencies, a participatory session on values, principles and ethics, a component on the history of the Francophone community, and discussions on good practices.

This workshop could serve as a model for other regions in Canada.

The Council's slogan is "Official Languages…a matter of respect."

The Council also developed an easy-to-use Official Languages Toolkit that can be consulted to obtain online information on official languages. A mouse pad with key phrases promotes the provision of services in both official languages, which completes the move from dialogue to action.

Check out the Web site for more information: http://pfc.gc.ca/commits/off_lang/docs/toolkit_en.cfm

These initiatives were made possible through regional funding allocated under the Official Languages Innovation Program.

Contact: Laurette Drolet,

Single Window to Writing at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada

These two organizations provide employees with key documents that can be very useful in everyday applications. These linguistic tools come from different sources, both internal and external, and are available on InfoSite, the departmental intranet.

These indispensable tools give advice and practical tips on grammatical difficulties, syntax, and usage and offers links to a number of handy tools. They are easy to use, regardless of in which official language: glossaries, writer's guides, dictionaries, TERMIUM Plus®, encyclopedias, tips of the month, etc.

Playing with words has just become child's play! Just try a few and you'll be hooked!

Language of Work: One of the Responsibilities of Managers at Canada Post Corporation

The Corporation has introduced a training module exploring its managers' responsibilities with respect to language of work. Based on case studies, the training provided under this module ensures better understanding of the policies in this area. Specifically, the module describes the rules and responsibilities of supervisors in terms of their communications with employees and draws up a list of resources available to them.

Contact: Robert Gauthier, roberta.gauthier@canadapost.postescanada.ca

Easy-to-use Writing Tools at National Research Council Canada

Whatever the task, a good tool can make all the difference. At the National Research Council Canada (NRC), common sense also helps facilitate the use of official languages. The NRC has created a bookmark to help remind its employees of the URL address of its writing tool box, which was designed to help them use their second official language. The bookmark is also useful to employees who do not always use a bilingual keyboard, since it contains characters and accents that can be accessed through a few quick clicks.

Contact: Christiane Charron, christiane.charron@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

Interactivity Supports Language Learning at the Communications Security Establishment

Should your communications be prepared in both official languages? The Communications Security Establishment provides the answer through an interactive decision-making tree for its employees. An intranet guide, presented in question format, helps employees figure out whether their written communications should be prepared in both official languages. This makes it easier for them to meet their responsibilities to the public.

Contact: Lyne Lacoursière, lyne.lacoursière@cse-cst.gc.ca

Parks Canada: satisfying the public in both official languages

Measuring public satisfaction is an essential element in understanding and solving problems. In 2002-03, Parks Canada surveyed visitors to 3 national parks and 11 historic sites. Visitors reported 92% and 98% satisfaction, respectively, with access to quality services in both official languages. These results were similar to those obtained in the previous year, which is encouraging in terms of pursuing the efforts made.

Contact: Diane Lépine, diane.lepine@pc.gc.ca

Citizenship and Immigration Canada: an Accountability Framework that Works

By developing an accountability framework for official languages, Citizenship and Immigration Canada was aiming to ensure that everyone's roles, priorities, and obligations would be better defined. This framework focusses on the equal status of English and French. The official languages champion and employees feel compelled to ensure that nobody is prevented from exercising their rights.

Contact: Brigitte Fortin, brigitte.fortin@cic.gc.ca

VIA Rail Canada: All Aboard!

What could be more natural than inviting all employees to get on the "official languages train" at VIA Rail Canada! By focussing the 2003 strategic plan on more extensive use of the two official languages and organizing workshops across the country, the organization's leaders have laid the tracks for a productive dialogue under the theme of "People Who Move People." Managers and employees of the national carrier had the opportunity to discuss the new mission, vision, values, and goals, including an excellent occasion for the proper use of both official languages.

Contact: Sylvie Leblanc, sylvie_leblanc@viarail.ca

Assessing Clients' Expectations, it Works at the VIA Rail Canada

The marketing services conduct a number a surveys every year. The results obtained for 2002 indicate a high degree of client satisfaction with regard to the quality and availability of services in both official languages. Employees were also consulted on this issue, and discussion groups were put in place to review in detail all of the results, establish the priority of required improvements, and develop concrete and feasible action plans. The high participation rate and quality of the feedback received convinced managers to continue to conduct employee surveys.

For more information, please contact Sylvie Leblanc at the following e-mail address: mailto:Sylvie_Leblanc@viarail.ca

National Film Board: Featuring Ongoing Dialogue

Why not have lunch in both official languages and combine business with pleasure? Every month since its strategic plan was completed, the National Film Board's Commissioner has organized bilingual working lunches. The menu features ongoing dialogue and discussions about promoting bilingualism.

Contact: Catherine Boucher, c.boucher@onf.ca

The Language Nook of the Government of Canada: Avoiding Pitfalls and Overcoming Language Traps from Public Works and Government Services Canada

Dagan the Dragonfly, the Translation Bureau's mascot, can be found in the Language Nook of the Government of Canada, where users can follow it through the intricacies of the language of Shakespeare. Its French cousin, Virgule, lives in the Coin linguistique du gouvernement du Canada, guiding users through the traps and difficulties of the language of Molière.

These sites contain unique linguistic opportunities and discoveries. Grammar, syntax, proper use, various examples, amusing games, an on-line library, and linguistic bibliographies are just some of the many appealing gems found in this wonderful tool box. Not only is it regularly updated, but it is also free on the Translation Bureau and TERMIUM® Web sites. Federal employees across Canada can access it through http://coinlinguistique.bureaudelatraduction.gc.ca/.

The Department of Canadian Heritage Posts Language on Line

Launched in the spring of 2003, the Department of Canadian Heritage language tool kit set a double objective: increasing the quantity and quality of French content on the Internet. Users of the kit can find numerous tools to help them with writing and revision in both official languages.

Web site: http://www.wordwizards.gc.ca/
Email: info@wordwizards.gc.ca

Health Canada: Official Languages from the Outset

The orientation course entitled Discovering Health Canada now has a 30-minute capsule covering the key aspects of the Official Languages Program. Health Canada is fully committed to initiating new employees and guiding them to ensure that they use both official languages on a daily basis. Moreover, the language training program has acquired a new stream for the development of the first official language.

Contact: Lilianne Tremblay, lilianne_tremblay@hc-sc.gc.ca

Radio-Canada: an ideal way to reach the French-speaking community

Access to and use of French-language services is a measure of the progress made with both official languages. Société Radio-Canada's broadcast of the messages prepared by the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique shows how well the corporation has understood this.

Contact: Brigitte Tesnière, brigitte_tesniere@cbc.ca

Canada Post Corporation: Focussed on its Clients

The Corporation's bilingual counters are some of the best meeting places between members of the public and those whose mission it is to serve them in the official language of their choice. "Mystery Client" is a special program aimed at providing a better understanding of client satisfaction levels, which can help the Corporation adjust its practices.

Contact: Robert Gauthier, roberta.gauthier@canadapost.postescanada.ca

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation: bilingue ou unilingue, that is the Question

At the Corporation, knowledge of official languages is part and parcel of what is needed to establish the competency profile for a position. Thus, the Corporation has come up with the Linguistic Profiler, an on-line tool that can help managers with the linguistic designation (bilingual or unilingual) of a position and the choice of appropriate linguistic profile, based on three categories defined by the required skills. Regardless of the levels, areas of work, and functions, the Linguistic Profiler provides a rapid and uniform procedure for the whole organization. Managers wishing to expand on the issue of linguistic designation also have access to an on-line guide. This highly regarded guide has been borrowed and adapted by other institutions.

Contact: Denise Doré, ddore@cmhc-schl.gc.ca