Bilingual presentations by external persons

Consult this guide to learn about best practice for bilingual presentations given by external speakers

Did you know

people chatting

The University of Ottawa’s Regulation on Bilingualism gives staff and faculty the right to work and be supervised in the official language of their choice. The regulation governs the conduct of meetings in both official languages. This guide is meant to assist University of Ottawa staff chairing meetings with colleagues.

Background: At the University of Ottawa, both official languages have equal status. Staff members have the right at all times to speak in the official language of their choice during meetings.

Please note

Please note that the principle of being able to speak in one official language during a meeting does not remove the obligation of all staff members to communicate in the two languages, with French taking precedence, when sending written information (for example, emails).

Best practices for bilingual presentations by external persons

Administrative services and academic units may bring in external persons to make presentations to staff or faculty. In such situations, they should not lose sight of their obligation to share information with staff in both official languages. 

Best practices for bilingual meetings apply as well to presentations made by external persons. For more, see the Best practices for chairing bilingual meetings.

The following best practices checklist addresses situations where external persons are present to give a presentation, information or training, or who are panel members at an event. 

Note: For training activities, staff and faculty have the right to receive such training in the official language of their choice. This training must therefore be offered separately in French and in English. In that case, a University of Ottawa staff member might have to offer the training in the other official language.  

People in meeting

Before the presentation

The meeting organizer should clearly inform the presenter well in advance of expectations concerning communication in the two official languages, as well as the best practices set out in this guide.

The meeting organizer should ensure that material distributed in advance is of equal quality in both official languages, whether in unilingual or bilingual documents.

The meeting organizer should ensure that the presenter is bilingual and able to switch from one language to the other or that two people make the presentation together, one in English and the other in French.

If it’s not possible to have a bilingual presentation, the meeting organizer must allow for the necessary time to summarize the main points in the other official language, if the external presenter is unilingual. This adds significantly to the common understanding. 

Person presenting in front of a crowd

During the presentation

The meeting organizer should introduce the guests in both official languages and explain that they will conduct the presentation in both official languages.

If the audience is made up people of varying levels of bilingualism, or if the external person making the presentation is unilingual, the meeting organizer should ensure that the main points are summarized in the other official language (if simultaneous interpretation is not possible).

During the Q&A period, if necessary, the presenter or meeting organizer must translate questions and the gist of answers, so all participants can benefit. 

Checklist

  • Meeting chairs must ensure that linguistic duality is respected throughout the meeting, including by declaring at the start that all participants are encouraged to speak in the official language of their choice.
  • Make sure you know your audience.
    • Does everyone understand both official languages?  
      • Make sure that all are comfortable speaking in the official language of their choice.
      • As you are leading the meeting, make sure you balance your use of the two official languages.
    • Does participants’ level of bilingualism vary?
      • Allow for enough time to summarize remarks made in the other official language.
  • Report each contribution in the language used.
  • Share these best practices with external persons leading a meeting. 

Regulation on Bilingualism, section 3.5

Consult the full regulation

3.5 Language of meetings

  1. In meetings of the central administration, administrative services, and the academic units (and their committees), individuals may use the official language of their choice. It’s desirable, where possible, to encourage proportionality in the use of both languages.
  2. An exception shall be made to the language of meetings in academic units and in centres, institutes, labs and research groups whose language is related specifically to their mission and vocation.
  3. Central administration documents concerning University governance, including regulations, policies, budgets and proposals that are of public interest, shall be made available simultaneously in both official languages.
  4. As a general rule, it is allowed to distribute documents stemming from meetings of the central administration, administrative services, and the academic units (and their committees), such as presentations, in either official language.
  5. Minutes of meetings of the central administration, administrative services, and the academic units shall report remarks in the official language in which they were made.