Linguistic Risk-Taking Passport

Passaporto linguistico a rischio

The Linguistic Risk-Taking App is used as a passport for French and English language learners at the University of Ottawa to record linguistic risks taken in their second language.

Users of the app can:

- attempt more than 70 pre-loaded suggested risks across campus and in everyday life:,

- propose their own risks and share them with other users of the app:,

- filter risks by theme or by linguistic skill:,

- analyse risks taken and keep track of their progress:.

Keep taking risks to progress through 8 levels from Green to Diamond!

Please note that the use of the app is currently available only to students at the University of Ottawa enrolled in specific EFL or FLS courses partaking in the Linguistic Risk-Taking Initiative.

Why take linguistic risks?

A linguistic risk is an authentic, every-day communication task that some language learners may shy away from and may need special encouragement to engage in.

Research has shown that some learners hesitate to take risks and do not always benefit from extra opportunities to practice their second official language outside of the language classroom. Real-life communication in a second language is not stress-free. It may involve "risk factors" such as making mistakes, being misunderstood, misunderstanding others, taking on a different identity, changing language use habits, and so on.

That is why some learners tend to stay within the comfort zone of their preferred language when going about their daily business on campus and thus miss out on opportunities to "live" bilingually.

This passport intends to encourage you to take various linguistic risks that will boost your confidence in your second official language. The passport will guide you in turning your daily routines into linguistic risks and in using our bilingual campus as a real-life language-learning resource.