Not that long ago, if you wanted to write well, you had to pore over a stack of reference books, such as unilingual dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, thesauruses, books on grammar and verb conjugation. By the end of the 20th century, however, with the advent of telematics and greater access to computer networks, people started posting and creating resources online. The Language Portal of Canada (opens in new tab), which was launched on October 8, 2009, revolutionized online writing resources in Canada. Now, with just a few clicks, Canadians have access to a wide range of reliable writing tools to help them improve their knowledge of English and French.
The Portal through the years
In 1999, Dyane Adam, the commissioner of official languages at that time, recommended that the Translation Bureau’s language tools and resources be available on the Web, free of charge. In the years that followed, the Translation Bureau worked diligently to put this recommendation in place, and in 2009, the Language Portal was created. When it was launched, the Portal not only provided free access to TERMIUM Plus® (opens in new tab) but also housed an array of writing tools, a selection of quizzes and a collection of Canadian language resources in English and French. To this day, the Portal team continues to expand the site in order to better serve Canadians.
In 2015, the Language Portal site underwent a complete overhaul before it migrated to Canada.ca, the Government of Canada’s official website: all of the Portal’s content, including the suite of writing tools, was analyzed and restructured. That same year, the Portal also introduced the first iteration of its search engine, Language Navigator (opens in new tab). And in 2017, the Portal launched the Our Languages blog (opens in new tab), bringing the first phase of upgrades to a close.
In 2019, the Language Portal introduced the Official Languages Hub® (opens in new tab) in response to a report on the state of bilingualism in the federal public service. Since 2021, the Portal has been co-chairing an interdepartmental working group whose mandate is to support the federal government’s diversity and inclusion priorities. And in 2022, the Portal published the Guidelines for Inclusive Writing (opens in new tab) and the Inclusionary (opens in new tab), a valuable, practical tool for anyone seeking to write, edit or translate inclusively.
The Language Portal team
The Portal includes a small team of English- and French-language specialists who, year after year, look at various linguistic issues, update the Portal’s tools as language evolves and create hundreds of pages of new content. Together with a team of programmer analysts, the Portal is continually exploring new features to enhance user experience.
The Portal also includes promotions and social media specialists, who promote official languages throughout Canada and beyond. Check out their work by following our accounts: Ourlanguages.ca (opens in new tab) on Facebook and @Our_languages (opens in new tab) on X.
Numbers that speak for themselves
When it comes to taking stock, it’s all about the numbers. In 15 years, the Language Portal has published 23,000 pages of content—including 13 writing tools and close to 900 language quizzes—all in English and French. Since the launch of the Our Languages blog, bloggers from across Canada have drafted nearly 500 blog posts. And the Portal’s social media accounts and Our Languages newsletter have some 60,000 subscribers.
Some of our achievements
In just a few short years, the Language Portal of Canada has become an indispensable resource. And the recognition has been quick to follow.
In 2019, as part of the 50th anniversary of the Official Languages Act, the Portal received an award of excellence in the category “Ally to official language minority communities.” This award recognized the Portal’s efforts to build relationships with numerous organizations and to showcase the initiatives of official language minority communities.
In 2023, the Portal won a Mosaic Award of Communications Excellence for its role in developing the Guidelines for Inclusive Writing. This federal government award recognizes leadership in accessible and inclusive communications.
An indispensable resource
Language will always play a major role in our everyday lives. But navigating language means navigating its many subtleties, which is why language resources are essential. The Portal strives to meet the language needs of all Canadians, regardless of their field of work or knowledge of language.
And it’s clear that the Portal is responding to a real need. The Language Portal of Canada helps you communicate clearly, both orally and in writing, in both of Canada’s official languages … without you having to turn to that stack of reference books!
