Language Training Hub/Best Practices


Best Practices in Language Training

Collection of Best Practices in Language Training
Best Practices Institutions Additional Information
1. Equitable Access to Language Training Program (EALTP)

Health Canada has created a program to provide equitable access to language training to support career development for all indeterminate employees belonging to a specific employment equity group. Employees interested in this program are to send a consent form to the department’s Equity Diversity and Inclusion Office. Management committees then prioritize participants for language training by following the requirements of the Guide for Managers on Determining Priority Access to Language Training. The goal of the EALTP is to require management to use an employment equity lens when making decisions on the prioritization of language training requests.

Confidentiality is a top priority in this program. Self-identification is made aware only to the Equity Diversity and Inclusion Office and the management committees.

Health Canada 1.1 Overview of the program

1.2 Application Process Map

1.3 Application and Consent Form

2. The Power of Bilingual Coaching Circles

Farm Credit Canada has established bilingual coaching circles to help public servants creatively address the challenges they face, while enabling them to develop language skills as part of their job. These coaching circles also create dynamic partnerships and model or serve as examples of bilingual meetings that could be offered to create a more inclusive culture.

Farm Credit Canada 2.1 The Power of Bilingual Coaching Circles

2.2 Model of participation

3. Programs and policies for small departments and agencies that foster bilingualism

How can you foster linguistic security in a small department or agency? FINTRAC has developed impactful policy elements that set the foundation for change and implemented their very own internal language school that drives bilingual capacity and various successful employee engagement initiatives.

Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada 3.1 Official Languages at FINTRAC

3.1 Official Languages at FINTRAC Accessible Word version

4. Language Coaching

Canada Revenue Agency offers a holistic eight-week program (Springboard towards Level C) to maximize participants’ potential to reach level C through personalized coaching and preparatory activities for the oral competency evaluation. This program is intended for executives or EX minus 1. Developmental coaching activities include weekly three-hour meetings aimed at reinforcing character leadership behaviours to overcome linguistic insecurity, observation of work meetings conducted by the participants in a professional environment, interview simulations, creating a work environment conducive to the use of both official languages, etc.

Canada Revenue Agency 4.1 Springboard to Level C

4.2 Pathway from Level B to C

5. Second Official Language Scholarship Program

Public Services and Procurement Canada’s Second Official Language Scholarship Program is recognized as a best practice in supporting the long-term career development of targeted equity-seeking employees. Each year, indeterminate employees who self-ID with one or more of the equity groups (Black; Visible Minority; Indigenous; Persons with Disabilities; and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities) can apply to the program. Successful candidates are allocated up to 250 hours of one-on-one training by a language school in their region. To date, recipients report an improvement in linguistic security in their second official language.

Public Services and Procurement Canada