By Owen Charters, President & CEO, BGC Canada

July 11, 2023

In Canada, we value our differences and celebrate all of our unique aspects. And we are different, from coast to coast to coast. But a defining uniqueness is our bilingualism.

At BGC Canada, we recognize that honouring and promoting bilingualism is essential for ensuring equitable access to opportunities. BGC is, in fact, a bilingual organization. But what does this really mean? We often take the fact that we operate in two languages for granted. It’s not easy and it takes a lot of work to provide bilingual services.

I’ve seen companies that have made the decision to create an English ad, then translate it, dub it, and run it in French. They wonder why they don’t get much traction in Quebec. Well, as a consumer, when you’re treated like an afterthought, you tend to return the favour.

Simple, pure translation of one language to the other isn’t high-functioning bilingualism. It’s basic and can even be insulting if done improperly.

Let’s start at the bottom of the French-English capacity, and work our way up:

1. Google Translate: A great service—but it’s a machine and it makes errors. Lots of them. It can’t understand nuance, context, or culture. But it’s useful to help you understand something you’re attempting to read in another language.
2. Professional translation: It’s a somewhat better model of translation than machine services. However, professionals don’t always know the lingo, the context, or the culture of your organization or what you’re trying to say. If you’re describing something specific, like a medical issue or a specific, unique program, the translator may have little to no background in that area and choose words that are adequate but perhaps not accurate. Word to the wise—if you have something translated, get a native speaker of the language who is also an expert in the field or topic to proofread.
3. Co-creation: Working with someone who has an understanding of the topic and is native to the language, you work together to create two parallel communications with the same outcome. Some of the best ad campaigns are created twice—a marketing brief is created that describes what you’re trying to communicate, and then two separate creative teams—one French, one English—create separate but similar ads.
4. Bi-culturalism: This is beyond bilingualism and is the ultimate end-goal. Marlene Deboisbriand, our VP of Strategy & Operations, talks about how the epitome of working in two languages isn’t actually being fluently bilingual; it’s being bi-cultural. French-Canadian culture is distinct, and not just in the constitution. French-Canadian art, music, television, and literature is exported around the world. And most Anglo-Canadians don’t know the famous global celebrities that come out of this unique culture. Working in French means understanding and integrating the cultural references, idioms, and nuances, not just the language.

I once saw a marketing campaign that was developed for a Canadian company by their ad agency. In French, it was terrible. All of their French-Canadian constituents complained about it. The company was flummoxed—their ad agency had a native French speaker develop the French campaign. It turned out the native speaker was French—but from France. They had no understanding of Quebec or French-Canadian culture, so their word choices were inappropriate for a Canadian context.

At BGC Canada, we actually have a long way to go to be a fully bilingual organization. We offer services, programs, and materials in French. But we are not a fluently bilingual organization, and we’re definitely not bi-cultural. But we are working on it and have hired new staff in recent months to help get us there. But it takes time and effort (and money).

Working in two languages is not a one-way street. It’s about the back and forth and living in two languages, two cultures, simultaneously. And that is definitely, distinctly, Canadian.

Read more:

• Why inclusive language is important
• BGC Canada’s commitment to Indigenous Engagement and Reconciliation
• National Youth Council Statement on Anti-Trans Legislation

By Owen Charters, President & CEO, BGC Canada

June 13, 2023

Not too long ago, we shared some style guides with our BGC Canada staff that discussed using language in more appropriate, inclusive ways in different situations and to recognize various populations.

Language is always evolving, and despite some areas where it seems to devolve (the use of emojis, perhaps?), it’s usually a progressive thing. 

As BGC Canada is a social service provider and needs to be in sync with the populations and causes we serve and support, we need to be aware of the language we use. We need to be progressive. We want to ensure we are following best practices and appropriately reflecting or representing the populations and issues we’re talking about.

In my previous work with kids with disabilities, we were trained early on to use language that was enabling. One of the most frustrating lines that often appears in the media is “She was confined to a wheelchair.” People in wheelchairs are not confined. It’s quite the opposite; the wheelchair offers them mobility and capacity for independence—it is not a confining device. 

People with disabilities do not want to be ‘disabled people’—they are people first, not disabled first. So “people with disabilities” is greatly preferred. And some are increasingly asked to be noted as ‘differently-abled’—because, it turns out, we ALL have some form of disability. I wear glasses and can’t see without them. Some people have asthma and can’t do certain athletic activities without an inhaler. So why do we differentiate those that are “obviously” disabled from those who might seem less so? 

That’s why inclusive style guides are important. 

Language is important and should be enabling, not belittling. It’s easy to fall into bad habits—doctors are infamous for this: “Did you get to see the diabetic in exam room 1? I just spoke with the broken leg in 2.” The language completely removes the person and undermines the respect for the individuals who are the patients—whole people who have needs and lives beyond their injury or disease. 

Since one of our core values is ‘Respect: We ensure that everyone is heard, valued, and treated fairly,’ we need to ensure we use language that shows that respect.

If you’re looking for inclusive style guides, I recommend:

• A Progressive’s Style Guide – Sum Of Us
• Style Guide for Reporting on Indigenous People – Journalists for Human Rights 
• Two Spirits, One Voice – Egale 
• Why we decided to capitalize Black, Aboriginal and Indigenous – TVO 
• Training and Workshops from The Canadian Centre for Gender + Sexual Diversity 

Read more:  

• BGC Canada’s commitment to Indigenous Engagement and Reconciliation
• BGC Canada’s Statement on Racism and Discrimination 
• Celebrating Pride at BGC Clubs