Social Work Practice in Canada's Officially Bilingual Province: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

New Brunswick holds the unique distinction of being Canada's only officially bilingual province. Government services, including social welfare and education, are available to every citizen in either French or English. A research study explored social workers' views on the challenges and opportunities of official bilingualism, particularly in a context in which the Acadian francophone population historically has held minority status. The results emphasize the need for social workers to expand their linguistic abilities to include minoritized languages.