As a technical communicator living in Canada, I realize the importance of creating documents that are either bilingual or easily translated. It really does help that I can do some of my own translation and writing in both official languages, French and English. This skill came from my parents' belief that I should learn both from an early age so I attended French immersion from kindergarten to senior four.
I find it slightly amusing that I am one of the few people who speak French in the company I work for. I am often called to the front to help a customer in French when it is needed, and when I hear my customer speak in French, I offer to help them to the best of my ability. It is usually well received, and they appreciate the effort to improve and maintain my skills in a second language.
But I find it frustrating when some people make no effort to understand or recognize the need for bilingualism in Canada. For example, our POS software was create by a Quebecois company so most of the support, documentation, and error messages are in French or in poorly translated English. It becomes my job to be the “explainer” to describe the issues and to find the solutions. (218)
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