Using Languages at Work in Canada, 2006 Census: Definitions

Allophone
Person whose mother tongue is other than French or English

Anglophone
Person whose mother tongue is English

Bilingualism
Ability to carry on a conversation in both official languages

Chinese languages
Designates the following languages: Mandarin, Cantonese, Hakka, Taiwanese, Chaochow (Teochow), Fukien, Shanghainese and a residual category (Chinese languages not otherwise specified).

Francophone
Person whose mother tongue is French

Knowledge of the official languages
Ability to carry on a conversation in one of the two official languages. The data obtained from this question address the knowledge of the official languages, not their use.

Language group
Persons sharing a common mother tongue

Language of work
A language is used most often at work when it is used whether predominantly or equally with one or more other languages. If it is not used most often at work, it may still be used on a regular basis. The general use of a language combines its predominant use or on an equal basis with other languages with its regular use.

Language regularly spoken at home
Language spoken at home in addition to the one most often spoken

Language spoken at home
The language most often or regularly spoken at home at the time of the census

Language used on a regular basis at work
Language used at work in addition to that used most often

Mother tongue
Refers to the first language learned at home in childhood and still understood by the person at the time of the census.

Non-official languages
Languages other than English or French

Official languages
English and French

Other languages
Non-official languages

Recent immigrants
Persons who immigrated to Canada in the five years preceding the census. Recent immigrants for the 2006 Census were landed immigrants who arrived in Canada between January 1, 2001 and May 16, 2006, Census Day.