About ''Dynamic Bilingualism''
About Philia > About Our Website > About ''Dynamic Bilingualism''
Philia is a national dialogue. Since we have two official languages in Canada, we want people to be able to communicate in their language of preference. So, depending on the location and culture of the participants, Philia dialogues and activities are carried out in English, in French, or in what we call "dynamic bilingualism".
Dynamic bilingualism is an approach we've devised that leaves participants free to communicate in the language of their choice. Rather than employing the slow (and often tedious) process of systematic translation, short summaries are offered in the other language as needed, over the course of the dialogue.
The Philia website is also built on this principle. There are English and French versions of the site, and the structure is the same in each, but only the core texts are translated for both. The rest of the website is left to evolve independently in each language. We hope that this approach contributes to a rich and living dialogue that honours the differences in tone, concerns and contributions of participants from both of Canada's major linguistic communities.
To reach the French version of the Philia website, click on Version française at the top of this page.
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