Bilingualism is arguably what sets Canada apart from the rest of North America – it has historically been the strength of our nation. However, of late, there is some cause for concern. While the demand for second language skills is growing both locally and globally, the number of bilingual people in Canada is on the decline. There are many causes for this slow down, in particular challenges within the education system, but research shows there are also several promising solutions that could help reverse the trend. For starters: newcomers. Not only do immigrants tend to support bilingualism as an integral part of the Canadian identity, many also wish to learn French. According to Voices of New Canadians: Factsheet for Educators, part of a study published by the Canadian Parents for French, 60 per cent of Allophone parents feel that learning both of Canada’s official languages would benefit their children. Furthermore, Statistics Canada reports that “in many cases, immigrants who could speak more than one language reported knowledge of English or French, in tandem with a non-official language: 61.2 per cent were able to converse in English or French and one or more non-official language(s).” It is not surprising, then, that young immigrants are well represented in post-secondary institutions that bet on linguistic diversity such as York University, which in 2012, opened Canada’s first Centre of Excellence for French-language and Bilingual Post-secondary Education based out of Glendon College. Thirty per cent of the college’s students are Francophones hailing from Canada, Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and beyond; graduates are expected to develop a demonstrated proficiency in two or more languages. This groundbreaking landmark is evidence of the economic and social value of multilingualism, the challenges of a global world and the high level of academic achievement concomitant with reaching literacy in multiple languages. “Graduates of the liberal arts — the social sciences and humanities — are in high demand for jobs in government, business, non-governmental organizations and more, in Canada and internationally,” reports the school’s website. It is clear that York is a trendsetter in the bilingualism arena, and it is vital that others catch up. Dr. Yves Lostanlen, manager of Siradel North America, ahigh-tech firm providing geolocalized data and advanced software to manage and deploy city-wide information and communications technology infrastructure (in particular wireless) that services both the private and public sectors, says all of his staff members in Canada are from different nationalities and cultures and speak three or more languages; in fact, almost all speak at least French and English. Inevitably, English is the common language when discussing technical and business issues, however, work is “a social universe,” explains Dr. Lostanlen, who is also an adjunct professor in the communication group at the University of Toronto. “In order to create social connections,” he says, “understanding cultures, languages and traditions is not only fascinating, it also plays an essential role in increasing productivity. Promoting French as well as other major languages is certainly desirable, even indispensable to make interpersonal communication and business more effective.” As Canada diversifies its trading partners, entering into free trade agreements with the European Union and other nations, the general population mastering two or more languages is more relevant than ever. Canadian organizations doing business with government agencies, or subsidiaries of multinational companies all need staff that can speak a second or third language. “Thales is a global business and we are built around recruiting internationally, especially in the transportation sector of [the company],” says Michelle Forbrigger, Vice President of Human Resources & Communications for Thales Canada Inc., a global technology leader in the defence and security, aerospace and transport markets. “The skills we have difficulties finding are signalling designers and system safety engineers. We also need bilingual staff in certain areas such as human resources and communications. We can arrange interviews in French and English, and other languages such as Mandarin.” What’s true for business organizations is true for our nation. As Canada diversifies its trading partners, entering into free trade agreements with the European Union and other nations, the general population mastering two or more languages is more relevant than ever.