Language Management, Official Bilingualism, and Multiculturalism in Canada

Abstract

In addressing Canadian language management and planning in terms of bilingualism and multiculturalism, it is essential to contextualize these topics within the recent historical policy events and periods of change. This history includes the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism of 1965, the Official Languages Act of 1969, official bilingualism and multiculturalism since 1971, the Canadian Multiculturalism Act of 1988, the growing importance of the Asia-Pacific region for Canada during the 1990's, and the increased probability of Quebec's separation. The above stages of evolution have taken place during an era which has seen the growing dominance of English internationally in all spheres of academia, economics, and communication technology, and an equally rapid decline of French internationally in these same spheres (Carey 1991; 1996).