Transcript

DM

• Hello. I’m joined today by Paul Forget, Defence’s Acting Director of Official Languages. September 12^th is Linguistic Duality Day. And this year, 2019, marks the 50th anniversary of the Official Languages Act. We can take that as an opportunity to renew our commitment to linguistic duality within the Defence Team.

PF

• The Act came into force in 1969. It recognizes the equal status and use of our two official languages, French and English.  Each are woven into the fabric of the entire Defence Team and all other federal institutions in Canada.

DM

• Learning and maintaining a second language takes work. It’s something I still have to work at every day. But it’s worth it and it’s important. We encourage military and civilian personnel to practice their second official language skills with colleagues. You can also access the resources and training tools that are available on the Director of Official Languages intranet page.

PF

• Defence is reviewing its Official Languages Program with the goal of improving second official languages capacity, training, and retaining valuable talent and expertise within the Department. By conducting such reviews, we’re working to better support Defence Team members to achieve their second language potential and meet our obligations under the Official Languages Act.

DM

• We’re proud to highlight this anniversary at Defence, which reaffirms the key role of our two official languages in fostering inclusion and diversity across Canada. Additionally, you can follow the Department of Canadian Heritage on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to learn more about activities for all Canadians celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Act.  Thank you.