As Canada celebrates the 50^th anniversary of the Official Languages Act, it’s a great time for Defence Team members to make improving your second language skills a priority.

The Canada School of the Public Service offers useful online courses, practice tests and study aides to help improve your French or English skills, and prepare for language evaluations.

Department of National Defence (DND) employees and Canadian Armed Forces members can access the full suite of Canada School online courses anytime, anywhere by logging in to your GCcampus account. The courses are free, self-paced, and available on your schedule. Topics include:

• Language Maintenance Courses
• Public Service Commission Language Tests Preparation
• French as a Second Official Language
• English as a Second Official Language
• Official Language Courses
• Job Aids / Videos

Learning a second official language is a shared responsibility: you have an important role to play in dedicating your time and energy to learning, while the organization supports you by providing access to information, training, and resources. ADM(HR-Civ) offers second language training opportunities to DND employees to ensure compliance with the Official Languages Act and the Treasury Board Secretariat Directive on Official Languages for People Management. Some groups and commands also provide second language training to civilian employees within their organizations for professional and career development purposes.

Make sure to discuss your second language learning plan with your manager, and discuss the support that may be available to help you meet your goals. For more information about official languages and second language learning at Defence, consult the HR-Civilian Official Languages or the Director Official Languages intranet sites.