Could you explain what the centre Documentalist does?
Paco: I’m the person responsible for managing the Resource Centre, a library specializing in teaching and learning English and French. My role as Documentalist is to organize activities to promote the centre and the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI), as well as developing the collection of pedagogical resources.
What can you find at the Centre?
Paco: The JCRC is a physical space where you can join second language conversation workshops. Three workshop levels are offered, based on language skills: beginner, intermediate and advanced. It’s also possible to consult and borrow resources to learn French and English here, to reserve a study room or to use software to help with your writing, like Antidote.
You can find textbooks for learning French or English, newsmagazines, dictionaries and encyclopedias, full-length films and documentaries, comics and graphic novels, and easy to read books.
Who can use the Centre workspaces?
Paco: The JCRC space is open to all members of the University of Ottawa community: students, staff and professors. During exam period, you can study here using workstations with computers or individual work tables. It’s also possible to reserve a study room to work on projects or attend an online class.
Can you work at the Centre or volunteer there?
Paco: Yes, you can be a JCRC clerk or volunteer, without necessarily studying at OLBI. You just have to show you’re motivated and interested in sharing your language skills in English or French.
How can I contact OLBI or the Centre on social media?
Paco: You can always contact us by sending a message on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. We’ve also got a JCRC Discord group.
Do you have any advice for people who want to study French or English?
Paco:
- Take advantage of every opportunity to show your language skills and personal and professional experience.
- Come to the campus and take part in JCRC activities to meet other students who share your interests.
- Discover other places on campus to speak French or English, to practise day to day interactions as much as possible.
- Take part in Discord language learning groups.
- If you speak one or more languages other than English or French, use them to understand better. Multilingualism is an advantage!
A 2019 Conference Board of Canada report states that postsecondary education and bilingualism facilitate access to the best positions, as well as higher salaries. Graduates of the University of Ottawa Major in French as a Second Language (FLS) and Major in English as a Second Language (ESL) work mainly in the public or broader public sector.
Opening hours
Fall 2022 | September 6 – December 9, 2022*
Monday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Thursday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The JCRC will be closed for Thanksgiving (October 10) as well as for the Study Week (October 23 to 29).