I'm amazed at people who are upset that conversations that don't involve you go on in a different language.
Pray tell, why do you think that way?
Pray tell, why do you think that way?
Strict language rules for immigrants proposed
- Thread starter dumpthemonarchy
- Start date
You get this. You are being obstinate. Who ever said (out of any of us here) that we are scared or terrified of people speaking. We used the word annoyed. Are you never annoyed by anyone who is speaking unusually loud in a public setting? This is a country that is BI lingual, not multi-lingual. So speak English or speak French even though, in the part of Canada I live in, even listening to people in French is annoying if it goes on long. Most BC people (and Alberta) do not speak French. Given a vote - I would go for being a UNI lingual country. Who are you or anyone else to tell me or anyone else, what should or should not annoy us? No one will ever make me understand why anyone wants to immigrate to this country to try to live their life as they did in the country they came from. If a person/family does not want to be a part of this country - in other words - dress the same (as their religion permits) and speak the language, why did they choose to come here anyway? I thought the whole idea of becoming a Canadian was to become one by acting and talking like one. In our languages.
I'm not being obstinate.
I don't worry about conversations that don't involve me.
Do I care if you speak English, French, Korean, Chinese, Cree, Migmaw, or Russian?
Not if the conversation doesn't involve me, I don't.
Are you suggesting that having a family conversation in your native tongue, or not dressing according to your standard means you don't want to be part of this country?
You only want to allow private conversations that are within your earshot to be in English or French! Otherwise, you get 'annoyed', and assume that everyone else does!
It's like a tv channel in punjabi - if I'm not watching it, what the **** does it matter? If you're not in the conversation, who the **** are you to regulate what languages are permissable? What goes on in that brain?
I disagree regarding your words "I'm not being obstinate". JMO
I don't worry about conversations that do not involve me but that does not make some of them any less annoying.
Because you don't care about what language is being spoken (from people who reside in this country only), doesn't matter. What you feel is up to you. What I feel belongs to me.
I should really have left clothing out of it because quite frankly, the only thing about clothing that actually bugs the hell out of me is kids that wear jeans almost hanging on the ground and looking like they just filled their pants instead of using a washroom.
Family conversations don't usually take place in a crowded store. I never ever mentioned families anyway. There you go again - stretching what I said. I have only ever talked about mostly 2 or maybe 3 people talking loudly in a foreign language. If they really want it to be a private conversation, they should talk in a softer voice. Sorry - I'm not big on any language including French and English being loud if they are within my ear shot. If you think other people are not annoyed - look around you. It only takes working in a job like I used to, to hear other peoples comments to know that I am certainly not alone with feeling annoyed. It's akin to a screaming child in a store. It disturbs people. Cell phone calls do the same job.
You cannot use a television channel as an example. If you don't speak the language, you flip channels so it doesn't apply.
BTW - who are you to tell me, that I should not have an opinion about permissable languages. I can't regulate them anymore than you can, but, I can have an opinion regarding how they are regulated and I do have one. So do you. So we differ. What's the biggie?
No need to start being insulting by asking "what goes on in that brain". You don't know me well enough to ask it. Why don't you just hold things down to your opinion.
Lets start with making sure Quebecers can speak English before the federal government transfers them to B.C.
I don't get why the example of two people talking is even being brought up in this thread. No one is proposing banning other languages. Foreigners with a shared tnogue may still sit and talk in public no matter what any xenophobe thinks of it. It's completely irrelevant.
Repost of a true story....
When I was working...this guy comes into my shack (work station)
The guy working with me was Polish descent, but the millwright I was talking to, was francophone.
Since my partner Tony, was reading a book me and the millwright we were speaking french. We were right in the middle of a story when this other guy walks in. So we finish what we were talking about before turning to acknowledge him.
Well, when He starts talking to us, in stereotypical L7 fashion for this area, he starts tearing us a strip because we hadn't switched to english, the second he walked in.
When he was finished, I didn't care if he was a superintendant, I told him.....
Imagine that you and I and and this <isert pejorative>Polack over there, we are stuck in a mexican village of 500 people for a month.....
The first thing I will try to do is learn Spanish....Tony, he will do the same thing, since he was able to learn English as a second language and understands french because he married a french girl....but you....
What you will try to do is insist that 500 Mexicans learn to speak English.
He just walked out in a huff and didn't talk to me for two weeks
When I was working...this guy comes into my shack (work station)
The guy working with me was Polish descent, but the millwright I was talking to, was francophone.
Since my partner Tony, was reading a book me and the millwright we were speaking french. We were right in the middle of a story when this other guy walks in. So we finish what we were talking about before turning to acknowledge him.
Well, when He starts talking to us, in stereotypical L7 fashion for this area, he starts tearing us a strip because we hadn't switched to english, the second he walked in.
When he was finished, I didn't care if he was a superintendant, I told him.....
Imagine that you and I and and this <isert pejorative>Polack over there, we are stuck in a mexican village of 500 people for a month.....
The first thing I will try to do is learn Spanish....Tony, he will do the same thing, since he was able to learn English as a second language and understands french because he married a french girl....but you....
What you will try to do is insist that 500 Mexicans learn to speak English.
He just walked out in a huff and didn't talk to me for two weeks
In response to Da Sleeper - If I was stuck in a foreign country knowing I was only going to be stuck for a brief time, I would have to learn some words to get by or find someone who was going to be around me all the time to help me out. If I ever moved to another country, I would want to know the language. Why stand around looking dumbfounded all the time because you don't have a clue what anyone is saying to you. Who would want someone to translate the language for them forever? We live in a country where people do speak multi languages. Regardless of that fact, we are not a multi-lingual country and therefore, people who want to be Canadians should learn the language. No one said they have to speak it perfectly. I'd like to know that if they need my help or if I need their help, we understand each other. Mostly, I'd like to know that when they are driving their car down the street, they know what the signs say.
To others: I don't know why the word xenophobe is being brought up here. This has nothing to do with being the least bit racist. As far as I am concerned, showing distain for other posters in a round about way is just a veiled form of xenophobia.
To others: I don't know why the word xenophobe is being brought up here. This has nothing to do with being the least bit racist. As far as I am concerned, showing distain for other posters in a round about way is just a veiled form of xenophobia.
That is what you have been dancing around since yesterday.
Bingo....That's the reason you don't like it:smile:
I always thought Quebec was in Canada....sorry!!
While I can agree with requiring them to KNOW English, I take issue with requiring them to speak it. If people around me are spealking in another language, whether English, French, mandarin or Ojibwe, that's entirely their business. The reason they should be expectyed to know the official languages is to ensure they can function in an official capacity (such as in reading their ballot, communicating to the police, paramedics, in court, on a jury, etc). What goes on outside official contexts is each person's business. I'll have sex in the language of my choice, thank you very much.
Sex language has no place in forums. Or society. That's likely why some people find it 'annoying'. Those people could be talking about something, the prudes disprove of.
Fair enough. Although experience has taught me that simply speaking to them in an unprudish manner will soon have them scurrying like cockroaches. Then problem solved.
What? You didn't think I meant literally get rid of them did you?
If it were so easy.
To bad they didn't speak a foreign language you didn't know....;-)
In that case, I'm pretty good at ignoring those that really annoy me.
I've got kind of a stubborn streak.
No. You are wrong. That was the one and only time I found myself in that particular situation. I felt it was simply bad manners on their part and - it was. I'm not dancing around anything. That would mean I am hedging and I've said right out on several occasions that I believe that people who move to this country from another, should be required to learn the language. That said, once they learn it, if they are out in the english speaking public then they should speak the language of the country - that being mostly english with a little french tossed in.
BTW - many people from Quebec don't count themselves as a part of Canada. It doesn't mean I don't count them as Canadians - just that they do.