Yes, it uses a number of criteria. Paragraph 23(1)(a) refers to the mother tongue or first language. That isn't in force in Quebec, as you know. That applies to rights under section 23, minority language educational rights.
The concept of English and French linguistic minority communities was used to add something that wasn't in the 1969 version of the Official Languages Act, so the first version. It referred only to English and French, not to linguistic minority communities.
In this case, the legislative drafters used the terminology to take into account the principle of protecting minorities.