English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

westmanguy

#1Mar 9th, 2007

Just wondering.

I was FORCED, to take French class in Grades 4 through 8.

I could quit in Grade 9.

And 3/4s of my Grade quit in Grade 9 when they could.

Is forcing kids to learn a language a good way about going to get kids learning French?

I know from Grade 4-8, the teaching and having it forced, students literally HATED it...

I am sure my school wasn't the only one.

And, all I know is very little French, just the bare basics...

And the other issue with Anglaphones is: The rest of the world is learning English!

I mean English is our universal launguage due to its importance in business and politics. Thats another thing the deters kids from bother to want to learn.

And now, some person wants ALL university students to know French to enter university.

Is this force the language on us technique the right way to do it?

I don't think so.

RomSpaceKnight

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 9th, 2007

Learn french and you can get a cushy job in the civil service. Good union wages, benefits and pension. Learning a second language is always a good idea. Opens up a lot of doors for some people.

No to mention the strippers really like it if you can say even a few words of french.

s243a

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 9th, 2007

I think it is great for kids to learn a language. I am not sure if it needs to be French. There are also a lot of people that speak mandarin and Spanish in this country. The real question though is, is a second language an essential skill that people will need in their future carrier. In education we try to fit everyone to a particular mold but perhaps by doing so we are inhibiting their growth:

httpwwwyoutubecomwatchviG9CE55wbtY

snowles

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

You were also forced to take geography/history, math, science, and English (though I have to question the success of the latter). Hate those?

And who is "some person?" Sounds kinda cryptic.

Anyways, I'm sure your exact argument is being made on all those in other countries who, thanks to the dominance of the Internet, are being forced to learn English against their will. Think the Natives in religious schools were keen on the language? That is truly forcing a language on someone; one class a day for an hour eight months of the year? Not so much.

Blackleaf

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

How can you be forced to learn a language against your will except at school?

Most countries that with lots of English-speakers have a huge economic advantage over their competitors as English is THE lingua franca of the world. To be successful these days you need to be able to have knowledge in English. That's why India has an advantage over China thanks to its millions of English-speakers and is one of the reasons why they are grateful to the British Empire.

El Barto

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

I think if they had interesting subjects to learn through french it may pick up better. Me being french, moved to the states and started my education there. When I came back I continued my education in English. While in school the french class that was given to us was pathetic. For one being a Quebecer it was the french from France edition, which made us want to gag. The stories was like the ones told for Kindergardnet. Tabernakle c'etais plate !
Any language learnt is a plus. I hate translations when I see a movie.

darkbeaver

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

I,d like to learn french but I'd have to be completely emmersed in it. Is there small village environments somewhere in Quebec that cater to this, and if so what would it cost, or is there some sort of bumbkin exchange programe for village idiots. I'd like to learn spanish the same way, I had intended to go to Gautemala for that purpose but became broken before trip time.

El Barto

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

Save some money, don't move .Hire a french maid and "immerse" your self completely in that language

DurkaDurka

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

Quote: Originally Posted by El Barto

Save some money, don't move .Hire a french maid and "immerse" your self completely in that language

mmm.. french maids.

El Barto

#10

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

I see you drooling durka . What's on your mind?
Isn't French the language of love?

westmanguy

#11

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

Well part of it was my French teacher was pathetic.

It was EASY. And we did kindergarten work sheets in Grade 8.

And we danced to really stupid songs.

All I know is:

Je ' ma appele _____

Coma ca va?
Cava Bien!
Com ci com ca
Cava mal!

Jes preferes pizza!
---- aime-----
----- ne aime pas ----

thats all I remember..

tracy

#12

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

I did the french immersion thing. I don't see anything wrong with making kids take a language.

darkbeaver

#13

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

Quote: Originally Posted by El Barto

Save some money, don't move .Hire a french maid and "immerse" your self completely in that language

I thought about that for a while but it always comes up poverty immersion, I,d find it easier to concentrate if I didn,t involve a french maid in the study.It might improve the head exercise though, I,d have to spend a lot of attention and concentration and empathy and time and no I think a small Quebec village with reasonable lodgings and ale would be more comfy for me.I hear the summers in Quebec are nice.

westmanguy

#14

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

I wish I could have had Spanish as an option.

For my dream to live in the USA on day, a Spanish credit would actually have been useful.

I have no wish of working for the government, so French was a cut from me on day one.

Their were 55 students in my grade who took French, only 9 of them took Grade 9 French.

Kids seem to have a hate for the language...

s243a

#15

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

Quote: Originally Posted by westmanguy

I wish I could have had Spanish as an option.

For my dream to live in the USA on day, a Spanish credit would actually have been useful.

I have no wish of working for the government, so French was a cut from me on day one.

Their were 55 students in my grade who took French, only 9 of them took Grade 9 French.

Kids seem to have a hate for the language...

Both Spanish and mandarin would be much more useful languages for me to learn as well. Working in an engineering company in Calgary I work with much more people that speak those languages then I do with people that speak French. Do you know the CRTC is charging people that try to get Spanish TV programming though their satellite dishes?

eh1eh

#16

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

This is an example of a short paragraph in english that was put into a automated translator. Then put back into the automated translator amd translated back to english. I learned this from Suk Yung Lee at the CBC. It should be very wrong in the end

C'est un exemple d'un paragraphe court en anglais qui a été mis dans un traducteur automatisé. Alors mis de nouveau dans le traducteur l'amd automatisé traduit de nouveau à l'anglais. J'ai appris ceci de Suk Yung Lee au CBC. Il devrait être très erroné à la fin

It is an example of a paragraph runs in English who was put in an automated translator. Then put again in the translator the again translated automated amd at English. I learned this from Suk Yung Lee to the CBC. It should be very erroneous at the end

Oh ya. Learn French. Don't leave it to Google.

darkbeaver

#17

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

I thought that was a pretty good translation.

eh1eh

#18

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

Quote: Originally Posted by darkbeaver

I thought that was a pretty good translation.

Tu parlez?

El Barto

#19

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

Quote: Originally Posted by eh1eh

Tu parlez?

Vous parlez
Tu parle
I think

eh1eh

#20

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

Quote: Originally Posted by El Barto

Vous parlez
Tu parle
I think

Oui, Je parle
Tu palrle
Vous parlez
Nous parlons.

Je me rappelle maintenant. LOL

Lithp

#21

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

I am an anglophone. I never did French Immersion in school. However, I went to University and earned a B.A. in French along with my B.Ed. I ended up teaching French in schools (ALthough I don't do that full time now- now I substitiute teach).

I see nothing wrong with making kids learn a second language. We make them learn History and Social Studies. So why not French? It would be nice if other languages were offered more frequently. But French is a good language.

Dexter Sinister

#22

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 10th, 2007

No, I don't know the French language, but I wish I did. Both our children are fluently bilingual in English and French because we put them into French immersion from grade 1 all the way through secondary school. I wish I'd had that opportunity 50 years ago, but at my age I think the language-learning part of my brain is probably fossilized now. I can read cereal box French, and just barely grasp the gist of the play by play commentary on Canadiens' games ( which I watch in preference to Leafs games) on French language tv, that's about it. I can't read it or speak it or really understand anyone else speaking it.

A second language is always useful, if only because it seems to make it easier to learn a third, and a fourth... My wife and I felt fully justified in making that decision on behalf of our children. Children don't know what's good for them, that's why they have parents to make certain choices for them. And having the second language has been a boon to both of them, personally and professionally, though neither of them works for the federal government. We're grateful for that too. This country has two official languages, and I'm sure there'll come a time (unless Quebec separates, which I don't think will happen) when you won't be considered educated unless you know them both. The best-educated Europeans are multilingual, and we should be too. In fact, where I live I'd find English, French, German, Ukrainian, and Cree, useful. But alas, English, and French at about the level of a 3-year old, is all I've got.

westmanguy

#23

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 11th, 2007

Ok as an English person having another language is ok, but English is the international language, its the language of business and politics.

Europeans and Asians know English. Its puts them ahead in our nation.

We could get by fine with just English.

But I believe we should learn a second language, but let me choose the language!

How useful is French is rural Manitoba (and no, I live nowhere near the Metis or St. Boniface)!

If I lived in Ottawa or New Brunswick I would have a motivation to learn the language.

I personally would have chosen Spanish if I could have chosen.

In the USA they let the students choose between French and Spanish.

But since French is our second language.. I am forced to take a useless class which will never do anything for me in my life.

Spanish may have had some benefits in my life!

Regarding spanish people getting in trouble for US satellite for Spanish channels. Canada is so bliddy communist when it comes to TV, yes I'll say it, we are communist on our Television.. we are so freakin crazy on it... CRTC is like the "protect Canwest and CTVglobemedia by letting them reap in money by reairing American programs and keeping out competitive American specialty channels and have weak Candian specialty channels!"

Honestly, I fall in love with TV when i am in a hotel in the USA... Canada is so warped with the way we do TV..

Last edited by westmanguy; Mar 11th, 2007 at 02:45 PM..

Rar! I'm a scary monster!

#24

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 11th, 2007

Je parle mais un petit peu de francais.

...even though I took like 5 years of it between highschool and college.

El Barto

#25

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 11th, 2007

I've been to Bali Indonisia. People there learn up to seven languages. There main income is tourism. The logic of commerce. Don't think they can read and write ever one tho but thats a pretty good effort. Been to Boston and was shocked of the bilingual postings. things changed alot after thirty years.

Rar! I'm a scary monster!

#26

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 11th, 2007

I think one of the biggest problems in America when speaking about multi-linguism is that those in smaller countries seem to exposed more regularly to other languages. If I had reason to use French everyday, i might be better at it.

My Mexican Spanish is improving slowly because of some people with whom I work...yet it's the cusswords I'm more familiar with which seem to be more finely honed!

TenPenny

#27

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 11th, 2007

Quote: Originally Posted by westmanguy

Ok as an English person having another language is ok, but English is the international language, its the language of business and politics.

Europeans and Asians know English. Its puts them ahead in our nation.

We could get by fine with just English.

But I believe we should learn a second language, but let me choose the language!

How useful is French is rural Manitoba (and no, I live nowhere near the Metis or St. Boniface)!

If I lived in Ottawa or New Brunswick I would have a motivation to learn the language.

I personally would have chosen Spanish if I could have chosen.

In the USA they let the students choose between French and English.

But since French is our second language.. I am forced to take a useful class which will never do anything for me in my life.

Spanish may have had some benefits in my life!

Regarding spanish people getting in trouble for US satellite for Spanish channels. Canada is so bliddy communist when it comes to TV, yes I'll say it, we are communist on our Television.. we are so freakin crazy on it... CRTC is like the "protect Canwest and CTVglobemedia by letting them reap in money by reairing American programs and keeping out competitive American specialty channels and have weak Candian specialty channels!"

Honestly, I fall in love with TV when i am in a hotel in the USA... Canada is so warped with the way we do TV..

First off, there is nothing stopping you from learning Spanish, just because you weren't forced to learn it in school.

Second, if you had taken, and taken in, history, you might be able to work out why we teach French in schools. It's an integral part of the development, culture, and history of our country. There is some value in learning significant things that are part of your own culture.

jjaycee98

#28

Learning French

Mar 11th, 2007

It probably makes a difference in how badly you want to learn the language. (People with political asperations seem to be able to learn.) Exposure at a young age also makes a difference I beleive. When we were in Europe on holiday we found it amazing how many Languages some people could speak. Not a just a few people either. Must be the close proximity to other countries. I came down with a bad flu bug and had to find a Pharmacy and I was glad of the very few words I was able to come up with to be understood.

My daughter had a one year exchange to France and said it was much easier to pick up when everyone around you spoke French. She took French through Grade 12 but thought she learned more the first month she was in France. She also spent 6 years in Ecuador and said the Spanish came easier in actual conversation than it did in the lessons.

westmanguy

#29

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 11th, 2007

I don't care about Canada's culture.

I will probably never live out East.

I will either move to British Columiba or the USA eventually. French is a useless course for me as I'll never live in Quebec, New Brunswick, Ottawa, France, or Hati. EVER.

eh1eh

#30

Re: English First'ers: Do you know the French language?

Mar 11th, 2007

Quote: Originally Posted by westmanguy

I don't care about Canada's culture.

I will probably never live out East.

I will either move to British Columiba or the USA eventually. French is a useless course for me as I'll never live in Quebec, New Brunswick, Ottawa, France, or Hati. EVER.

Yes I think you should move to the USofA ASAP as you don't seem to have any loyalty to Canada.

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