A number of observers and stakeholders have indicated that there is still a problem with the application and enforcement of the country’s language laws, in particular the Official Languages Act (OLA) of Canada. During the various consultations that have taken place to review the Act, a number of stakeholders have brought up the problem and suggested strengthening the application of the OLA. The following research note presents an analysis grid that attempts to identify the legal, social and organizational contexts influencing the effectiveness of language legislation. We used a multidisciplinary approach to develop the grid as part of a research project into the effectivity of provincial language legislation in the healthcare sector. We feel that it is appropriate to present it because it can be used in other sectors and for the OLA. Other research projects will be an opportunity to test, refine and validate this grid.