| Signs of vitality in official-language minority communities |
Examples of questions that could help you identify the situation |
| Demographic and demolinguistic renewal through natural population growth, immigration, and language retention and transmission. |
- Is the minority community able to pass its language on from generation to generation (intergenerational transmission/linguistic continuity)?
- Do bilingualism rates in the majority and minority communities encourage inter-group communication?
- Is minority-language transmission an issue for families formed through minority-majority parental relationships?
- To what extent do migratory factors (interprovincial migration, rural exodus, immigration) have an impact on a population’s size and relative predominance?
|
| Individuals who have a sense of belonging in the linguistic community, who have linguistic aspirations and relevant practices. |
- Do people identify with their minority-language community?
- Is there support for minority-language community associations and events? Do people invest time and money?
- What is the perceived importance of being able to use the minority-language in day-to-day life?
- Do those who are right holders have access to minority-language educational institutions?
- Are younger children enrolled in minority-language daycares?
|
| A collective leadership and an ability to mobilize its population and community organizations. |
- Have minority-language communities mobilized themselves in target sectors and in support of strategic institutions that represent the best opportunities for strengthening community vitality?
- Are there cooperation mechanisms in place that promote exchange and dialogue within the communities? With governments?
|
| An environment that offers… |
- Do the minority communities have adequate access to early childhood services, elementary and secondary schools?
- Are there strategies for recruiting, integrating and/or retaining students in the school system up to the end of high school?
- Is the school environment culturally enriched? At both the educational and extracurricular levels?
- Do the programs in place enable students to attain a performance level comparable to that of the majority?
- Are efforts made to improve access to minority-language postsecondary programs?
- Are there strategies to promote enrolment and retention of right holders?
|
| Minority-language education |
| Cultural and leisure activities |
- Is there a sustained level of consumption of minority-language cultural products?
- Are there cultural networks that give access to resources for arts and culture creation, production, distribution and learning?
- Are there symbols, media and festivals designed to promote the linguistic community’s cultural identity?
- Are the minority communities’ cultural products accessible throughout Canada?
|
| Existence of institutions and active offer of services |
- To what extent are services in various sectors, such as health, social services, employment, etc., accessible in the minority language?
- Are the services offered nearby?
- Are services provided by public administrations improving or declining relative to practices in the past (short and medium term)?
- Are there community centres, libraries, movie theatres, cultural centres, retirement homes, etc. for minority-language community members? If so, what is their level of use?
|
| Minority language visibility |
- Is the minority-language visible in the public space?
- Are there media (radio, television, newspapers, Internet sites) that reflect the reality of the linguistic minority?
- Are efforts being made to expand and strengthen the linguistic environment by forming solid partnerships between minority-language institutions, family and the community?
- Are the minority communities using their “virtual space”?
|
| Economic and social integration |
- How economically vulnerable are the members of minority communities relative to the majority?
- Are there barriers to employment that can be attributed to language? Are there sectors or types of jobs that are particularly affected?
- Is the minority-language community well represented in public sector employment?
- Do immigrants integrate into linguistic minority communities and under what conditions? Are there strategies and welcome services in place for the integration of immigrants and newcomers.
|
| Relationships with the majority that lead to… |
- Does the majority-community acknowledge the minority communities’ needs?
- What is the rate of bilingualism among the majority? (Shows openness to the other language, better services for the minority, better quality of interaction with the minority)
- Are institutions where the majority language is predominant able to provide support for minority community users?
- Have the minority communities established relations with the majority’s various networks?
- Have interests common to both the minority communities and its majority been identified and links established?
|
| Support from the majority and dialogue/ cooperation between the two language groups |
| Recognition and respect for language rights |
- Are the minority communities legally and/or politically recognized? Does the recognition apply to all of the sectors and activities necessary for community vitality?
- Are there information programs for this purpose?
|
| Influence and power in public institutions |
- Have minority communities developed a strategy for cooperation with the various levels of government? Have the various levels of government been receptive?
- Are there minority community members represented within public and para-public institutions?
|
| The ability to be part of a broader linguistic environment |
- Are there any common regional or Canada-wide issues? Are there any networks with a mandate to work on these issues?
- Are there any unifying events linking the two linguistic communities?
- Are there any regional or national media or means of communication that facilitate dialogue?
- Have minority Francophone communities and French-speaking Quebec developed partnerships?
|
