So, in my real life, the debate has arisen... should a nation be bilingual? Does bilingualism strengthen a nation's identity, or does it weaken it? Canada and the United States are in direct contrast on this issue. Which system would you choose?
Bilingual Nation
- Thread starter karrie
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Karrie
Without going into the historical reasons - I am viewing from today's perspective. All people should seek to retain their roots, their language, their customs, their entertainment, but it should not be by government directive or taxation of the people to create two of all government regulations, laws, business of the nation, etc.
Bilingualism has become hugely expensive since I first moved to the U.S. and was able to compare the established duality of the government in Canada to the newly enforced bilingualism being born of necessity in the U.S.
It is not working well here, but it is relatively new compared with Canada's heritage.
In sum I believe: duality of any kind is divisive. That is as short a statement as I can make.
Without going into the historical reasons - I am viewing from today's perspective. All people should seek to retain their roots, their language, their customs, their entertainment, but it should not be by government directive or taxation of the people to create two of all government regulations, laws, business of the nation, etc.
Bilingualism has become hugely expensive since I first moved to the U.S. and was able to compare the established duality of the government in Canada to the newly enforced bilingualism being born of necessity in the U.S.
It is not working well here, but it is relatively new compared with Canada's heritage.
In sum I believe: duality of any kind is divisive. That is as short a statement as I can make.
2 aspects.
In a nation a main language and a secondary language making up 25% + of the population, some aspects of bilingualism need to be implemented.
Federal government workers in Ottawa, Quebec, New Brunswick, and major French centres such as ``St. Boniface`` in Manitoba should be required to know French.
How many people in Saskatchewan speak French only. Very little. And the majority of French people in this country know English as their second language.
In areas with major French population governments should make requirements of their politicians and civil servants to know the language. No huge French population... NO.
And, forcing the language in school, and some idiots wanting it REQUIRED for post-secondary education, is where I draw the line.
Forcing a language onto a society in the education system is wrong. I say make French an available course in every public school, but not mandatory. People who live in French areas will be inclined to take the course, while people in non-French areas, will have it as an option.
Its a waste of tax money, to be forcing 65% of the Anglaphones children to learn the language in elementary school, when most of them will never use it in their lives, or put it to very little use.
I grew up in small town Manitoba, and was forced French from Gr. 4-8, and the kids hated it, and never enjoyed it.
French areas... require gov. workers to know the lang. Education - KEEP IT OPTIONAL!
In a nation a main language and a secondary language making up 25% + of the population, some aspects of bilingualism need to be implemented.
Federal government workers in Ottawa, Quebec, New Brunswick, and major French centres such as ``St. Boniface`` in Manitoba should be required to know French.
How many people in Saskatchewan speak French only. Very little. And the majority of French people in this country know English as their second language.
In areas with major French population governments should make requirements of their politicians and civil servants to know the language. No huge French population... NO.
And, forcing the language in school, and some idiots wanting it REQUIRED for post-secondary education, is where I draw the line.
Forcing a language onto a society in the education system is wrong. I say make French an available course in every public school, but not mandatory. People who live in French areas will be inclined to take the course, while people in non-French areas, will have it as an option.
Its a waste of tax money, to be forcing 65% of the Anglaphones children to learn the language in elementary school, when most of them will never use it in their lives, or put it to very little use.
I grew up in small town Manitoba, and was forced French from Gr. 4-8, and the kids hated it, and never enjoyed it.
French areas... require gov. workers to know the lang. Education - KEEP IT OPTIONAL!
as long as quebec remains part of canada, the bilingualism should stay. It represents the fact that Canada isnt just of english descent, and it benefits many people. It's a great advantage in life to have a brain caoable of understanding two languages. And not just because you can speak two languages
Exactly! Manitoba has our Metis, but where I live maybe 200 people speak French in the entire darn region of 75 000 people! I mean its so dang silly! Nobody speaks french here! Nobody sees it has having any use here! Nobody goes on to use it later in life!
As I have said before, in regions with high French population, FINE - Ottawa, Quebec, New Brunswick, St. Boniface, and other French populations, but not where 95% of the people speak English.
What a waste of tax dollars.
As I have said before, in regions with high French population, FINE - Ottawa, Quebec, New Brunswick, St. Boniface, and other French populations, but not where 95% of the people speak English.
What a waste of tax dollars.
And imagine all those packages with French labels on the opposite side.
How expensive is that... when in my town everyone in ignores the French side of the box... so dang silly.
How expensive is that... when in my town everyone in ignores the French side of the box... so dang silly.
If I was going to learn a second language, it certainly wouldn't be french. On the lower
mainland, Vancouver area, it would be much more beneficial to know Mandarin, as
they are a big part of the population in that area. I would learn Italian, if I was so inclined.
Me too, I would rather learn Spanish.
That is the most spoken language in the world.
No objection to second language, just having which lang. forced on me.
That is the most spoken language in the world.
No objection to second language, just having which lang. forced on me.
mandarin'd be a useful one, that's for sure. But if a school started teaching THAT, the whole nation would be up in arms saying we're pandering to the immies. Tamarin would probably have a heart attack
I like tamarin, so there!
No, I am saying make languages optional, and if its feasable, make one of the languages French, and the other language offered could be a language representative to the local community.
I am sure Mandarin would be useful for whites in the chinese invested Vancouver.
I was in a superstore in Vancouver, and I swear for a minute it looked like a food market in Hong Kong... they all look the same, and they are awful drivers. But out of all the immigrants asians are the best, they learn the language, and take importance to their education and chance at a better life here.
No, I am saying make languages optional, and if its feasable, make one of the languages French, and the other language offered could be a language representative to the local community.
I am sure Mandarin would be useful for whites in the chinese invested Vancouver.
I was in a superstore in Vancouver, and I swear for a minute it looked like a food market in Hong Kong... they all look the same, and they are awful drivers. But out of all the immigrants asians are the best, they learn the language, and take importance to their education and chance at a better life here.
Herman, there are plenty of school that teach mandarin and cantonese in the Toronto area... Visit Markham if you are ever in the Toronto area... it's a minature Hong Kong
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Markham is like Hong Kong... hmm, sort of like Burnaby or Richmond in Vancouver.
So infested.
all the whites have been pushed out to Coquitlem.
So infested.
all the whites have been pushed out to Coquitlem.
In certain areas of Vancouver/Richmond, the chinese have their own newspapers, street
names, etc., good asian markets too. Love all of their fresh vegtables, etc.
Nothing around the west coast even remotely French. The only French people I see in this
area are military personnel who have been posted at our base, but they will be gone as soon as their time is up.
A few interesting facts and stats on Canadian views of bilingualism
Most of these are based on Center for Research and Information on Canada (CRIC) surveys, unless otherwise stated.
2001 census- among Canadian anglophones, 10% are bilingual, with a rate of 7% bilingualism outside of Quebec. That's fairly evenly spread across the country (so West, amongst your 75000 area, the stats put roughly 5250 as French speaking, even if you don't hear it, not to mention the ones in your area who'd be francophone with English as a second)
The Canada wide stat for those who feel preserving English and French as our official languages bears some importance, is 77% as of a CRIC '02 survey.
88% if francophones and 68% of anglophones feel bilingualism is of importance to the Canadian identity. (CRIC '03)
91% of Canadians surveyed support the right to French language education outside Quebec, where numbers make costs reasonable, and 81% support it outside of Quebec with no qualifying statement regarding cost.
55% of anglophones outside of Quebec reported that they feel it is important that children in their province receive French education.
75% of Canadians expressed a desire to learn, or to have learned French.
47% of Canadians feel the gov has pushed bilingualism too much. (CRIC 00)
77% of anglos want their children to be bilingual (CRIC 03)
64% of Canadians, and 73% of immigrants agreed that learning french is an important way to help keep the country united. (CRIC 03)
64% of Canadians and 73% of immigrants agreed that having two official languages makes the country more appealing to immigrants.
Most of these are based on Center for Research and Information on Canada (CRIC) surveys, unless otherwise stated.
2001 census- among Canadian anglophones, 10% are bilingual, with a rate of 7% bilingualism outside of Quebec. That's fairly evenly spread across the country (so West, amongst your 75000 area, the stats put roughly 5250 as French speaking, even if you don't hear it, not to mention the ones in your area who'd be francophone with English as a second)
The Canada wide stat for those who feel preserving English and French as our official languages bears some importance, is 77% as of a CRIC '02 survey.
88% if francophones and 68% of anglophones feel bilingualism is of importance to the Canadian identity. (CRIC '03)
91% of Canadians surveyed support the right to French language education outside Quebec, where numbers make costs reasonable, and 81% support it outside of Quebec with no qualifying statement regarding cost.
55% of anglophones outside of Quebec reported that they feel it is important that children in their province receive French education.
75% of Canadians expressed a desire to learn, or to have learned French.
47% of Canadians feel the gov has pushed bilingualism too much. (CRIC 00)
77% of anglos want their children to be bilingual (CRIC 03)
64% of Canadians, and 73% of immigrants agreed that learning french is an important way to help keep the country united. (CRIC 03)
64% of Canadians and 73% of immigrants agreed that having two official languages makes the country more appealing to immigrants.