Canadian Forces personnel stationed in Colorado will get French lessons through an American firm, after the military received poor grades for its record on bilingualism, the Ottawa Citizen reported Wednesday.

According to a Department of National Defence (DND) notice issued Tuesday, a $285,000-contract was awarded to Globelink Foreign Language Centre in Colorado Springs to tutor Canadians at the North American Aerospace Defence Command headquarters, the newspaper said.

The company has done work for DND before, owner Fadia Gnoske told the paper.

Gnoske, who is fluent in French, said she believes it is important for Canadian Forces personnel to continue their language training.

"Just because they are posted outside of Canada, does not mean they should not have access to the training they need," she said.

In his last report card, for 2007-08, Canada's Official Languages Commissioner, Graham Fraser, gave the Canadian Forces a 'D'.

Over the past three years he said language complaints have increased, and a survey showed "low satisfaction levels among both Anglophone and Francophone members of the Forces with their right to use the language of their choice when working in a minority setting."

This year, Canada marked the 40th anniversary of its Official Languages Act, which gives English and French equal status as the country's languages of government and justice.

The mandate of the Official Languages Commissioner is to ensure the goals of the act are met.