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Languages of Canada facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Canada is a country where many different languages are spoken. The two most common languages are English and French. Most Canadians speak one of these languages. Only the province of New Brunswick uses both English and French as its official languages. Quebec's official language is French.

English and French are known as Canada's "official languages" because of the country's Constitution. This means that all laws made by the federal government are written in both English and French. Also, federal government services are available in both languages. Many Canadians think that the relationship between English and French is very important.

Many Languages Spoken

Even though English and French are the main languages, many other languages are spoken in Canada. About 18% of Canadians, which is around 6.1 million people, have a language other than English or French as their first language. Most of these people are immigrants who have moved to Canada.

Nearly 3.5 million Canadians still use their first language most often. They might speak it at home or when they are with friends and family. Some of the biggest non-official languages spoken include Italian, German, Chinese, Punjabi, Arabic, and Dutch.

Indigenous Languages

Canada also has many native languages, which are spoken by the country's Indigenous peoples. However, not many people speak these languages today. Less than one percent of Canadians speak an Indigenous language, and fewer people are learning them each year.

How Canada Counts Languages

To understand how many people speak different languages, Canada's census collects a lot of information. A census is like a big survey that counts everyone in the country and asks them questions. Canada's census asks about things like the language people speak at home, their first language (mother tongue), their first official language, and the language they use at work. This kind of detailed language information is not collected in most other countries.


Images for kids

  • Language used most often at home 1981-2006

    Languages – Statistics Canada.

  • Bilingualism in Canada, Quebec, ROC

    Rate of bilingualism (French and English) in Quebec and the rest of Canada, 1941–2006.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Lenguas de Canadá para niños

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