OLBI in the News

After using the University’s old computer system for 20 years, OLBI welcomed the arrival of uoCampus at the University launched on November 6.

ILOB is pleased to announce the expansion of the French Intensive Program (PIF), which will now be available over 7 or 14 weeks during the spring-summer trimester.

The OLBI Showcase is always an appreciated period of the year when the administrative and teaching staff is highlighting their amazing work and will share their appreciation.

This year was the seventh CCERBAL Conference under the theme of Bilingual from Birth: Process, Pedagogy and Policy. It has been very attractive as we welcomed more than 100 participants from everywhere around the globe.

March is the Mois de la francophonie at the University of Ottawa!  It’s the perfect opportunity to get to know and enjoy French language and culture in all its forms.

OLBI is proudly celebrating ten years of bilingualism in the Language Training Services for Academic Staff. 

Roger Farley came into office in early November as Executive in Residence. He will work partly for OLBI and partly for the Centre for Continuing Education.

The Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI) of the Faculty of Arts is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Laurens (Larry) Vandergrift, who retired in 2012 but remained active as an adjunct professor.

Dr. Richard Clément, OLBI’s Director, received a notable distinction honoring his engagement in and dedication to the advancement of Second Language Education.

The Arts Building, in which OLBI as well as various Faculty of Arts Departments are located, will now be known as Hamelin Hall in honour of Marcel Hamelin, the man who inaugurated the building in 1996.

The University of Ottawa recently obtained designation for its services and academic programs in French under the French Language Services Act of Ontario. This designation guarantees the continuation of the Francophone character of our university and maintains its commitment to promoting and protecting the interests of the Franco-Ontarian community for generations to come.

Richard Clément, Director of OLBI and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts, hosted the official announcement ceremony, which has been held on Franco-Ontarian Day. OLBI is proud to have played a key role in this event, alongside President Allan Rock. What a big step for the future of the French fact at uOttawa!

Are you curious to know the origin of the words « bonbon » and « pastille »? Would you like to know which goddess the word « céréale » comes from? What was the first name of "pomme de terre”? Did you know that the words « poubelle », « sandwich », « watt », « Celsius » and « Fahrenheit » come from the names of their respective inventors?
To learn the answers to these questions and make new discoveries concerning the language of Voltaire, consult the following websites and PDFs.

The book launch of “50 years of Official Bilingualism: Challenges, Analyses and Testimonies” was held on Wednesday, February 25. It is co-authored by OLBI’s Director, Richard Clément and Pierre Foucher, Full professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Ottawa. This work takes a retrospective look into the progress made since the final report of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, some fifty years ago, and on the challenges that we still face today. 

The University of Ottawa has been named the managing institution for the new Language Rights Support Program (LRSP). The Minister of Canadian Heritage, James Moore, made the announcement yesterday morning.

In his opening address to the symposium entitled "40 Years of Official Languages in Canada: Our History and the Path Ahead," the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, announced that the University of Ottawa has been chosen by the Government of Canada to administer the new Language Rights Support Program (LRSP).

Améliorer la qualité de l'expérience étudiante, développer davantage la stratégie internationale et offrir aux membres de la communauté universitaire des occasions de se mettre au service de leur communauté, de leur pays ou du monde: voilà les trois grandes priorités d'Allan Rock, recteur et vice-chancelier de l'Université d'Ottawa, l'établissement qui accueille cette année le congrès de l'Acfas.

OTTAWA — On April 30 and May 1, 2009, the University of Ottawa's Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI) is hosting the second annual symposium of its Canadian Centre for Studies and Research on Bilingualism and Language Planning (CCERBAL), titled Language Immersion as Formal and Informal Learning: New Perspectives for Research and Public Policy.

Le nouveau Programme d'appui aux droits linguistiques (PDAL) est désormais accessible à tous ceux qui désirent obtenir du financement dans une cause linguistique.

A master’s in bilingualism studies program is to start at the University of Ottawa in September as part of an ongoing push to promote “bilingualism and francophone communities.”

e 20 mars, de 11 h à 14 h, un évènement a été présenté par le Carrefour francophone en collaboration avec l’Institut des langues officielles et du bilinguisme (ILOB), afin de célébrer la Journée internationale de la Francophonie.

Malgré ces défis de taille, le Forum a permis de cibler des solutions prometteuses. L’événement a réuni universitaires, intervenants et étudiants pour discuter d’enjeux prioritaires en matière de services en français dans le système judiciaire de l’Ontario.

The Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI) and the International Office are pleased to welcome a group of francophile Brazilian students this fall.