Recent surveys of federal public servants confirm this trend.54 Holding bilingual meetings also remains difficult.55 In addition, federal public servants experience linguistic uncertainty in the workplace.56 In times of crisis and emergency, federal institutions have even more difficulty meeting their language obligations, which is why the Commissioner of Official Languages makes recommendations to clarify the procedures to be followed. in such circumstances.57 Second-language performance is assessed through tests. Click here for information on public service testing. During the last comprehensive review of the use of official languages in the public service, almost 15 years ago, Michael Wernick, former Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, Patrick Borbey (currently President of the Public Service Commission of Canada; former Associate Deputy Minister at Canadian Heritage) and Matthew Mendelsohn (Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet, Results and delivery) to examine the state of bilingualism in the federal public service. Managing official languages in federal institutions is a challenge. Managers have difficulty objectively determining the language requirements of positions for administrative actions. The Commissioner of Official Languages described the problem as systemic and encouraged him to publish a report on problems related to the implementation of section 91 of the OLA and a guide for managers on the linguistic identification of positions.77 The purpose of the Official Languages Act (OLA) is to ensure respect for English and French as the official languages of Canada. In accordance with the OLA and the regulations and policies in force, federal institutions are guided by certain basic principles that help them ensure equality and the use of these two languages in their internal processes, among their employees and in their interactions with the public. Since fiscal year 2019–2020, TBS has been asking federal institutions to identify issues related to the implementation of section 91 of the OLA in their official languages reviews.79 The Official Languages Officer submits quarterly reports to TBS on complaints filed under section 91.80. The Commissioner recommended that TBS review its policies and tools, adequately train managers, and implement appropriate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.81 All international students Students studying at TBS are encouraged to take French courses in a foreign language or in FLE (French as a foreign language). The Language Centre offers 30 hours of FLE lessons each semester.
These courses help students learn the French language and culture. FLE covers levels from A1 (beginner) to B2 (intermediate). Exchange students who wish to follow the FLE must register in advance. Pre-registration takes place during the application process, where students are asked to choose their academic courses. 3 A person excluded under subsection 3, 4 or 5 of the College may not necessarily be appointed to a bilingual position if the appointment would be based on merit, unless the person does not meet the qualifications required for the position in terms of official language skills. During recent debates on modernizing the OLA, several stakeholders suggested codifying the principle of substantive equality.41 In 2019, the Federal Court of Justice confirmed in Thibodeau v. Air Canada that equality of official languages has four components: equality, equality of use, equal access and equal quality.42 Designated Bilingual Organizations must be composed of candidates who meet the language requirements of these positions. Since March 2007, this requirement also applies to positions at the EX-02 to EX-05 levels. Exceptions may be made under the Public Service Official Languages Exemption Order 21, which states that the person consents in writing: Finally, in recent debates on modernizing the OLA, the mismanagement of official languages issues has emerged as an important issue.75 In addition, the lack of clear objectives in the performance management framework and the lack of oversight are some of the obvious governance weaknesses. 76 Receptive bilingualism is introduced in the context of a modernized second-language evaluation framework. The Treasury Board Secretariat and the Public Service Commission are conducting a pilot study in collaboration with the University of Ottawa. TBS and the PSC, in collaboration with the University of Ottawa, are conducting a pilot study that interviews employees of a sampling service (Natural Resources Canada) to examine modernized second-language evaluation frameworks that are better aligned with employees` work.
(c) a physical, mental or learning disability that interferes with the learning of the other official language at the required level; or 4 If, following the conclusion of a bilingualism agreement, a person is not necessarily appointed to a bilingual position, the deputy head must ensure that the person receives the language training necessary to enable him or her to attain the level of official languages required for the position within the two-year period set out in the agreement. In his 2009–2010 annual report, the Commissioner of Official Languages expressed concern about the changes made to the official languages governance structure in the federal public service, particularly with respect to TBS` ability to fully exercise its responsibilities and the support of federal institutions in dealing with official languages issues in a context where more responsibilities have been delegated to deputy heads.72 The governance structure strengthened its capacity to act and required federal institutions to take measures to ensure strong leadership in official languages. However, the effectiveness of these measures varies from one organization to another.73 The Languages of Work Dashboard will be used to monitor progress on recommendations.
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