The Québécois Office of the French language ( OQLF ) is an public institution of the Quebec created the March 24th 1961, at the same moment as the Ministry for the cultural affairs of Quebec (today the Ministère of the culture and communications of Quebec).

The Charter of the French language, adopted by the National Assembly of Quebec in 1977, increased its responsibilities by adding to it the application for the linguistic policy for Quebec. Two new organizations were then created, that is to say the Superior council of the French language and the Commission of toponymy.

History

The institution named initially Office of French language (OLF), but it was famous Québécois Office of French language (OQLF) at the time of the coming into effect of a modifying law (bill 104) on October 1st 2002. This same law operated also a reorganization of the OQLF which result in the fusion of this last with the Commission of protection of the French language and part of the Superior council of the French language.

Mission

Its missions consist in defending the place of the French language in Quebec, and particularly to ensure the respect of the Charter of the French language and to work out the programs of Francization envisaged by the law.

Since the institutional reorganization of 2002, the Québécois law allots to the OQLF the mission:

• to lay down and lead the Québécois policy as regards linguistic officialization, of terminology as well as Francization of the administration and companies;

• to take care that French is the usual and normal language work, communications, trade and businesses in the administration and the companies;
• to help to define and work out the programs of Francization envisaged by the law and to follow the application of it;
• to supervise the evolution of the linguistic situation in Quebec and to submit a report of it every five years with the minister;
• to ensure the respect of the Charter of the French language, acting of office or following the reception of complaints;
• to establish the research programs necessary to the application of the law and to carry out or make carry out the studies envisaged by these programs.

Capacities

In order to fulfill its mission, the OQLF is seen conferring the following capacities:

• to take the appropriate measures to ensure the promotion of French;

• to assist and inform the administration, the companies, the individuals and the groups with regard to the correction and the enrichment of the French language;
• to receive their observations and their suggestions on the quality of the language like on the difficulties of application of this law, and to submit a report with the minister of it.

For the year 2004-2005, the OQLF had a budget of expenditure of about 18,6 million Canadian dollars.

Members

The office is composed of eight members of which a general president-director named by the government for at more the five years. The members are:

• France Butcher - general President-director of the OQLF

• Monique C. Cormier - titular Professeure at the Department of linguistics and translation of the University of Montreal
• Gilles Dulude - President de Synergroupe the Councils in human resources Inc.
• Guy Dumas - Deputy minister associated responsible for the application with the linguistic policy
• Marie Gendron - Expert in strategic communications
• Simon Langlois - Titular of the Pulpit for the development of research on the culture of French expression in North America (CEFAN) with the Laval University and Full professor at the Department of sociology of the University Laval
• Rene Roy - General secretary of the Federation of the workers and workers of Quebec (FTQ)
• John E. the Trent - reprocessed Professor

Services

The pages of the Web site of the OQLF present many resources on the French language, the lawful and legal aspects and of the services intended to help the consumers, the workers and the citizens to take advantage of their rights in the linguistic field in a country where the pressure of English is very strong.

Among the resources, let us note the Grand terminological dictionary. It is about a terminological database including/understanding nearly three million terms, giving definitions and equivalences with English and (when relevant) Latin. It is about a site intended for the writers wishing to use the word right, while avoiding the or not recommended Anglicism and obsolete terms.