find the ‘right’ program that scales with your workforce needs.

Presented By: Clea Corman, Organizational Development Manager at PERT, and Nathalie Meunier, Founder of Talent Stratégie.

Circonflexe au travail brought employers together for an event focused on inclusive HR practices. During this workshop, we presented concrete approaches to bridge linguistic gaps and strengthen team cohesion.

Participants learned how to:

• Write job postings that attract, rather than discourage, qualified English-speaking candidates

• Assess the practical French proficiency required during an interview

• Position their company as an environment conducive to linguistic integration

• Implement effective French learning opportunities within their organization

This event enabled employers to gain a competitive edge in recruitment and contribute to creating a more diverse and resilient workforce.

Presented By: Alexa Tremblay, Founder of Francoflexe

This workshop brought together employers and human resources professionals to explore how AI can foster language learning in the workplace. In collaboration with Francoflex, the session focused on how AI can enhance French training while addressing the realities of modern organizations.

Participants discovered how AI-based tools can:

• Provide scalable and flexible French training across all teams

• Facilitate employee integration and the continuous development of language skills

• Tailor learning to different roles and proficiency levels

• Strengthen organizational competitiveness in Quebec’s ever-evolving job market

The workshop highlighted strategies for integrating technology into language learning initiatives, helping organizations build more inclusive, resilient, and linguistically confident teams.

Presented By: Marc-Albert Paquette, Provincial FSL Pedagogical Consultant at LEARN Quebec.

Overview: In this enlightening session, Marc-Albert Paquette from LEARN Quebec moves the conversation beyond grammar and vocabulary to explore the inseparable link between language and culture. This workshop is designed to help employers understand that learning French in Quebec is not just an academic exercise, but a cultural experience that requires empathy, context, and intercultural competence to be truly successful.

Key Topics Covered:

• Language is Culturally Loaded: Understand how French in Quebec carries specific cultural weight and history, and why acknowledging this helps learners connect more deeply with the language.

• Intercultural Competence: Learn what it means to be interculturally competent, the ability to interact effectively and respectfully with people from different cultures, and how this skill accelerates language acquisition.

• Linguistic Security: Discover the importance of creating a safe environment where non-Francophone employees feel confident enough to take risks and make mistakes without fear of judgment.

• Situating Yourself: A guided reflection on how our own cultural backgrounds influence how we teach, learn, and perceive French in the workplace.

Overview: In this essential legal information session, Julianne Chu of Éducaloi breaks down the complexities of Bill 96 (An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec). This workshop is designed to help Quebec employers understand their new obligations without getting lost in legal jargon, clarifying exactly what the law requires regarding internal communications, hiring, and public signage.

Key Topics Covered:

• Recruitment & Job Offers: Learn the strict rules for posting jobs, including the requirement that French versions be published simultaneously and with equal visibility to other languages. The session also covers the three-step analysis employers must perform before requiring knowledge of a language other than French for a position.

• Internal Communications & Contracts: Clarify the rules for written communications with staff. While generalized messages to staff must be in French, the workshop explains the exceptions for individual communications and employment contracts where both parties agree to another language.

• Francization Requirements: Understand the new threshold for francization, which now applies to businesses with 25 or more employees (previously 50), requiring registration with the OQLF (Office québécois de la langue française).

• Public Signs & Advertising: Get a clear explanation of the markedly predominant rule for public signage, which mandates that French text must occupy at least twice the space of any other language displayed.

• Consequences of Non-Compliance: A review of the potential penalties, including fines ranging from $3,000 to $30,000 for businesses, which can apply per day of non-compliance, and the risk of having government permits or subsidies suspended.

Presented By: Nathalie Meunier, Founder of Talent Stratégie, in collaboration with PERT.

Overview: In this practical workshop, Nathalie Meunier addresses a critical challenge for Quebec employers: how to attract and retain qualified staff who do not yet speak French, while navigating the requirements of Law 96. The session moves beyond theory to offer concrete strategies for turning language learning into a compelling employee benefit rather than a barrier to hiring.

Key Topics Covered:

• Strategic Job Postings: Learn how to write job ads that attract non-Francophones by explicitly offering support resources, such as access to language apps (e.g., Duolingo, Babbel), grammar software like Antidote, or mentorship programs.

• Maximizing Recruitment Platforms: Discover how to use specific features on platforms like Indeed to flag positions where French is not immediately required, signaling to candidates that the company will invest in their language training.

• Creative Integration Techniques: Explore low-pressure, social methods to foster language acquisition, such as assigning a "lunch buddy" for conversational practice, organizing French movie nights with subtitles, or hosting potlucks where dishes must be described in French.

• Progressive Onboarding: Understand how to structure roles so that new hires begin with tasks requiring minimal French, gradually taking on more complex responsibilities as their language skills improve through company-supported training.

Presented By: PERT & Talent Stratégie

Overview: This workshop digs into the mechanics of language acquisition within a professional setting. It is designed to help employers move beyond basic training mandates and understand the human elements—both internal and external—that influence an employee's ability to successfully learn and use French on the job.

Key Topics Covered:

• Factors Affecting Learning: Gain a deeper understanding of the internal factors (such as motivation, confidence, and aptitude) and external factors (workload, environment, and support) that impact a person's capacity to learn a new language.

• Assessing Proficiency: Learn methods to better identify and evaluate the actual French proficiency levels of your English-speaking employees, ensuring that expectations align with reality.

• Tools for Success: Explore various concrete tools and strategies that can be implemented to facilitate the learning process and make it more effective for your team.

• Organizational Culture: Reflect on your organization's culture and discover ways to improve it to foster better, more supportive relationships between English-speaking and Francophone employees.