Discover Languages and Communication!

You use language every day! Language is how you share your thoughts and feelings with others. You can talk, write, draw, or wave to share a message.

When you share a message with someone, that is called communication. You can learn about Expressing Ideas to find even more ways to share what you think!

Canada has two official languages. They are English and French. You can hear both languages across Canada every day.

Most French-speaking Canadians live in a place called Québec. A community where most people speak French is called a Francophone community. If you can speak two languages, you are called bilingual!

Here are some French words you can learn: Bonjour means hello. Merci means thank you. Oui means yes. Au revoir means goodbye.

Canada's First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples have their own special languages. These are called Indigenous languages. There are over 70 Indigenous languages in Canada!

Cree is spoken across the prairies and northern regions. Inuktitut is spoken by Inuit people in Nunavut and the Arctic. Inuktitut uses a special writing system called Inuktitut syllabics made of shapes and symbols.

Many Indigenous communities share stories by speaking aloud. This is called oral storytelling. You can explore how your own Family Origins connect to language and culture too!

You can communicate in many ways! Talking uses your voice. Writing puts words on paper. Drawing makes a picture. Waving moves your hand to say hello.

When you use your hands, face, or body to share a message without words, that is called body language. A smile, a wave, or a nod are all body language. Using pictures to share ideas is called visual communication.

Some Deaf Canadians use sign language to communicate. Sign language uses hand shapes and movements. It is a real and complete language!

Good Listening Skills help you understand what others are saying. Looking at the speaker and nodding shows you are paying attention.

Canada is a multicultural country. That means many people from different cultures and languages live here. When a family moves to Canada and brings their home language, that language is called a heritage language.

The first language you learn at home as a baby is called your mother tongue. Songs, stories, and festivals help people share their culture and language. You can learn more about Cultural Foods and Dress to see other ways culture is shared!

Explore Multiple Expression Methods to discover even more ways people share their ideas and feelings.

Communication: Communication means you share information or feelings with another person. Example: You wave to a friend that is communication!

Language: A language is a set of words and rules you use to talk or write with others. English and French are languages.

Bilingual: Bilingual means you can speak two languages very well. Many Canadians speak both English and French.

Francophone: A Francophone community is a group of people who speak French as their main language. Québec is a Francophone province.

Indigenous languages: These are the languages spoken by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples of Canada. Cree and Inuktitut are examples.

Body language: Body language is how you use your hands, face, and body to share messages without speaking. A smile is body language.

Sign language: Sign language uses hand shapes and movements to communicate. Many Deaf Canadians use American Sign Language (ASL).

Heritage language: A heritage language is the language a family brings from their home country. It connects you to your culture.

Mother tongue: Your mother tongue is the first language you learned at home as a baby.

Multicultural: Multicultural means many people from different cultures and languages live together. Canada is a multicultural country.

Oral storytelling: Oral storytelling means sharing stories by speaking aloud. Many Indigenous peoples use oral storytelling to pass down traditions.

Visual communication: Visual communication means using pictures and drawings to share ideas and stories.

Inuktitut syllabics: Inuktitut syllabics is a special writing system that uses shapes and symbols to write the Inuktitut language.

Cultural community: A cultural community is a group of people who share the same language, traditions, and way of life.

You can practice saying French words like Bonjour and Merci with a friend. Try waving, smiling, or drawing a picture to share a message without words!

You can also practice your Social Studies Vocabulary to learn more important words about people and communities.

You already know how to talk and listen to people around you. Those skills help you understand languages and communication. Keep building those skills as you learn!

Learning about languages and communication connects to many other topics. When you learn about Expressing Ideas, you discover new ways to share your thoughts with others.

Good Listening Skills help you understand messages from others. Listening and communicating go together!

You can explore Multiple Expression Methods to see all the different ways people share ideas, from drawing to singing.

Learning Social Studies Vocabulary helps you understand important words used when talking about people and cultures.

Languages connect to culture! You can learn about Cultural Foods and Dress and Family Origins to see how language, food, and family all share culture together.

After this topic, you will be ready to explore Ways People Express Culture and Diversity Within Communities. You will also learn about Sharing Findings and Different Points of View!