Two official languages are spoken in Canada: English and French. English is the mother tongue of about 60% of the Canadian population, while French is the mother tongue of about 20% of the population. There are also other minority languages spoken in Canada, including Spanish, Chinese, Italian, German, Arabic, Punjabi, Tagalog and others.

In Quebec, a province of Canada, French is the predominant language and is the only province where French is the official language. In the other provinces, English is the predominant language and is the official language in nine of them. In the province of New Brunswick, both English and French are official languages.

Importantly, as a multicultural country, Canada is home to many different linguistic communities. In addition to the official languages, there are many other languages spoken in Canada due to the presence of immigrants and refugees from all over the world.

Canada is a very diverse country in terms of languages, with a population of around 37 million people. In addition to English and French, which are the official languages of the country, there are a wide variety of languages spoken in Canada due to cultural diversity and immigration.

Some of the most widely spoken languages in Canada besides English and French include Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Italian, German, Arabic, Punjabi, Tagalog, Portuguese, Hindi, Urdu and many others. Some of these languages are spoken by specific ethnic communities, while others are more common among recent immigrants.

In some Canadian cities, such as Toronto and Vancouver, linguistic diversity is particularly notable. For example, more than 140 different languages are spoken in Toronto, making it one of the most multilingual cities in the world.

The Canadian government recognises the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity and has implemented policies and programmes to support the preservation and learning of the languages of ethnic communities. In addition, many universities and schools offer language training programmes for those interested in learning a foreign language.

In summary, Canada is a very diverse country in terms of languages, with a wide variety of languages spoken due to cultural diversity and immigration. Linguistic diversity is valued and supported by the Canadian government and is reflected in many cities across the country.

Bilingual Canada

Canada does not speak only one language, but several different languages, but English and French are the main languages spoken. This means that the language spoken in Canada varies depending on which province you are in.

On July 7, 1969, Canada passed the Canadian Official Languages Act, making the country officially bilingual in English and French. This makes Canada one of the few bilingual countries. There are about 17 million English speakers and 6 million French speakers.

According to 2011 census data, an estimated 75 % of the population (24.8 million Canadians) speak English and 23 % (7.7 million) speak French. It is also estimated that English is the mother tongue of 58% of Canadians (19.1 million) and French of 22% (7.2 million).

Where French is spoken in Canada

The majority of French-speaking Canadians are mainly in Quebec, the only province where French is the official language. However, about one million French speakers also live in Ontario, Manitoba and New Brunswick. The latter province is notable for being the only officially bilingual province in the country.

There are also native English speakers in Quebec who were born in that province. 66% of Canadians speak English and 21% speak French.

Bilingual Canadians make up 17.5% of the population of 5.8 million. This is an increase of 350,000 bilinguals since 2006. This increase is mainly due to a large number of Quebecers reporting that they can speak French and English.