Government of New Brunswick

In New Brunswick, we speak English, French, or both. You will hear English and French spoken throughout Canada, but New Brunswick is Canada’s only officially bilingual province.

The Government of Canada works with provincial governments, school boards, community colleges, and immigrant and community organizations to offer free language training for adult permanent residents. LINC, which stands for Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada, has centres in New Brunswick to assess your language skills and find the training program that would be best for you. In French, this program is known as CLIC, for Cours de langue pour les immigrants au Canada.

It will be important for you to be comfortable communicating in English or French. Once you learn one or both of these languages, you will find it easier to get around, talk with your new neighbours, get a job, and assist your children, who will be learning in English or French at school. You will also need to know English or French to become a Canadian.

You will find that there are many language courses available, some of them are free of charge. Sometimes these courses are called “ESL” for English as a Second Language, or “FSL,” for French as a Second Language.

Universities, New Brunswick Community College, private language schools and community organizations offer language classes. Remember to ask about fees, since these courses may not be free.

A collection of materials to welcome newcomers, and also raise awareness of the growing cultural diversity in New Brunswick, is available at local public libraries throughout the province. The collection includes English as a Second Language and French as a Second Language resources, online language training, as well as materials on multiculturalism and diversity. You can request a library card online or at any New Brunswick public library.

For a list of Settlement Agencies in New Brunswick, refer to Immigrant Settlement Agencies to Help You.