Bilingual English–French AI Chatbot for Canadian Organizations
A bilingual chatbot answers customers or staff in English and French from the same approved content, with equal quality in both languages and French terms your team signs off. Remolda launches one in six weeks for $9,800 CAD + HST.
In short
- Price: $9,800 CAD + HST for the six-week AI Pilot Sprint: one bilingual chatbot in production.
- One approved content base serves both languages; French answers are tested separately, with the same questions and the same pass mark as English.
- Canadian French terminology: a glossary your team approves (courriel, TPS/TVQ, and your own service names).
- Quebec's Charter of the French language gives consumers the right to be informed and served in French (s. 5, s. 50.2); the design documents how the chatbot meets it.
- Other languages, such as Spanish, Arabic, Punjabi, Tagalog or Ukrainian, can be added for the populations you serve.
Your situation
Bilingual service needs the French side tested with the same care as the English side. Typical cases:
- Quebec customers get weaker answers. French replies are literal translations with wrong terms.
- A federal or bilingual mandate. English and French service must be equal, and someone has to show it.
- Two content sets drift apart. The English FAQ gets updated; the French one lags months behind.
- Newcomer communities. Clients prefer Spanish, Arabic or Punjabi for first contact.
What makes the chatbot bilingual in practice
| Element | What we do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Language choice | Detects the language or asks at the start; switch anytime | Visitors pick their language |
| Content | One approved base, key text written in both languages | EN and FR stay in sync |
| Terminology | Canadian French glossary approved by your team | Consistent terms across answers |
| Testing | Same question set in both languages, same pass mark | Equal quality is measured |
| Handoff | Routes to staff who speak the language | Service continues in French |
The same approach applies to a website chatbot, a customer service chatbot or an internal assistant. Phone lines follow it too through the AI receptionist.
Canadian language rules to design for
- Charter of the French language, Quebec. Section 5: consumers of goods and services have a right to be informed and served in French. Section 50.2: an enterprise offering goods or services to consumers must respect that right.
- Official Languages Act, federal. Section 22: federal institutions must ensure the public can communicate with and obtain available services in either official language at head offices, in the National Capital Region and where there is significant demand.
What the AI Pilot Sprint includes
One bilingual chatbot in production. On your website, intranet or Teams.
Glossary and style note. Canadian French terms, tone and forms of address approved by your team.
Parallel test sets. The same questions in English and French, scored against the same standard.
Language-aware handoff. Escalations reach staff who speak the visitor's language.
Training and runbook. How to update content in both languages together.
How long it takes
Six weeks from kickoff. In our experience the usual split is two weeks for content and glossary, two weeks of build and bilingual testing, and two weeks live. French review capacity on your side sets the pace.
What it costs
The AI Pilot Sprint is $9,800 CAD + HST, fixed, for one bilingual chatbot. Platform and model usage are billed by the vendor. Packages and what each includes are on the pricing page.
Why Remolda for a bilingual chatbot
- Delivery in English and French. Sessions, documents and testing in both languages.
- French quality is measured. Same test set, same pass mark.
- Language rules documented. Quebec Charter and federal duties addressed in the design.
- One content base. Both languages updated together.
- Fixed price. One chatbot, six weeks, written scope.
How the work runs
The Sprint is the Implement step of the Remolda Cycle (Audit → Strategy → Implement → Empower → Evolve).
- Scope call. 30 minutes: audience, languages, channel.
- Content and glossary. Approved in both languages.
- Build and bilingual testing. Scores compared side by side.
- Go live. Conversations reviewed in both languages.
- Review. Quality and handoffs by language, then go / adjust / stop.
Frequently asked questions
What is a bilingual chatbot?
It is a chatbot that holds the conversation in English or French, detects or asks for the user's language, and answers from the same approved content in either language. A good one gives answers of equal accuracy and tone in both.
How much does a bilingual chatbot cost?
Remolda's six-week AI Pilot Sprint is $9,800 CAD + HST for one bilingual chatbot in production, including the glossary, testing in both languages and training. Platform and model usage are billed by the vendor.
Is machine translation enough?
For reading, often yes. For answers customers rely on, we test French output against a question set reviewed by a French-speaking member of your team, and fix terms in the glossary. Key policy text is best written in both languages at the source.
What do Quebec language rules require of a chatbot?
The Charter of the French language gives consumers a right to be informed and served in French, and s. 50.2 requires enterprises to respect it. We design the chatbot so French is fully available and document it; legal interpretation for your case stays with your counsel.
What about federal institutions?
Under section 22 of the Official Languages Act, federal institutions must ensure the public can communicate with and obtain services from them in either official language where the Act applies. A chatbot on those services needs equal English and French.
Can it handle languages other than English and French?
Yes. Current models handle many languages well; we test each added language on real questions before launch, and flag where quality is weaker.
How long does it take?
Six weeks from kickoff. In our experience, approving the French glossary and answer set takes about two weeks.
Sources
- LégisQuébec — Charter of the French language (C-11), ss. 5 and 50.2
- Justice Laws Website — Official Languages Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. 31 (4th Supp.)), s. 22
- Office québécois de la langue française
- Microsoft Learn — Azure Translator overview
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