3 official languages
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Re: RE: 3 official languages
Not to long ago, my son started grade one in Red Lake, ON. Parents were told their children would be taught a second language, and had the choice between French or Oji-Cree. We ended up choosing french, however, I thought that offering a native language was very appropriate. Red Lake isn't a Reservation, but does have a large number of Ojibway and Cree peoples living there which was apparently the reason for including the option.
Machjo said:
Not to long ago, my son started grade one in Red Lake, ON. Parents were told their children would be taught a second language, and had the choice between French or Oji-Cree. We ended up choosing french, however, I thought that offering a native language was very appropriate. Red Lake isn't a Reservation, but does have a large number of Ojibway and Cree peoples living there which was apparently the reason for including the option.
Is it just me or is nobody else worried about losing our Canadian identity?. If I move to China and decide to live there for the rest of my life I am not going to expect the chinese to make english an official language in thier country or provide me with education or services in my language.
Why do people think it's a right for immigrants to come into Canada and have thier own little countries within our country?. Coming to a great country like ours should be a privledge not a right. Lets push Canadian culture and not be so afraid of being diplomatic.
This is not to say other cultures should be downtrodden in Canada but if your from the country of beezinyourbonnet and want a parade of your culture then go to your country and have a parade.
Lets not even go into the French and indigenous people, they lost control through wars etc. its over. If Beezinyourbonnet invades Canada and wins then guess what we all speak Beezinyourbonnet, thats life.
Ok let the open minded people speak now.
Why do people think it's a right for immigrants to come into Canada and have thier own little countries within our country?. Coming to a great country like ours should be a privledge not a right. Lets push Canadian culture and not be so afraid of being diplomatic.
This is not to say other cultures should be downtrodden in Canada but if your from the country of beezinyourbonnet and want a parade of your culture then go to your country and have a parade.
Lets not even go into the French and indigenous people, they lost control through wars etc. its over. If Beezinyourbonnet invades Canada and wins then guess what we all speak Beezinyourbonnet, thats life.
Ok let the open minded people speak now.
Re: RE: 3 official languages
Well, I think most people would agree with your opinion. In Urumqi and Lhasa, the locals are learning Chinese quite nicely.
So when do you think the Iraqis will start learning English. The Americans did win, didn't they?
chrisfer said:
Well, I think most people would agree with your opinion. In Urumqi and Lhasa, the locals are learning Chinese quite nicely.
So when do you think the Iraqis will start learning English. The Americans did win, didn't they?
Re: RE: 3 official languages
I thought this was our culture as Canadians? Diplomatic, Polite, and a mosaic of cultures?
I'm to poor to travel around the world and see all these cultures. Instead I go to Winnipeg, Toronto etc. and experience them without the need for a passport. Phinneaus Fogg would have been ecstatic!
chrisfer said:
I thought this was our culture as Canadians? Diplomatic, Polite, and a mosaic of cultures?
I'm to poor to travel around the world and see all these cultures. Instead I go to Winnipeg, Toronto etc. and experience them without the need for a passport. Phinneaus Fogg would have been ecstatic!
Re: RE: 3 official languages
The only official Billingual Province is New Brunswick. French may be the official second language but in reality it is not here.
Machjo said:
The only official Billingual Province is New Brunswick. French may be the official second language but in reality it is not here.
Another point... People who feel a need to impose their culture on others must have a pretty weak sense of identity. I'm in China, haven't seen another white guy for months (except on pictures of course), speak either Chinglish, English, Chinese or Esperanto with most people I come across, eat Chinese foot practically every day (what does spaghetti taste like, again?), and still know who I am. I think you need to work on your sense of identity, chrisfer, if it's more dependent on the people around you than on what's inside you.
I feel if canada were to ever have another official language it should be a Native one. If any group of people should be better represented in this country it's the first nations.
Gonzo said:
If anything, I'd rather reduce the number of official languages to one so as to:
1. Save money
2. Make transnational communication more efficient
2. reduce the number of languages we must learn so as to give us more free choice as to which language(s) we want to learn beside the official one.
As for an indian language, one idea could be to copy the Indonesian example (make the official language a planned national auxiliary language based on local languages).
This would be a very long-term proposition, mind you, and even Indonesia had the advantage of at least being able to base the new language on an already existing Indonesian trade Pidgin. The natives don't even have that, so we'd have to start from scratch:
1. Get natives representing all 64 still existing languages together to either agree on one of the already existing languages or create a new one.
2. Develop the language (develop the grammar if necessary, and certainly expand its vocabulary so as to make it applicable to all aspects of human life.
3. Train the teachers.
4. Introduce it in schools across Canada as a second language.
5. Once the language is well established, officialize it as one of three official languages and eventually eliminate French and English, with this new Pan-Canadian language being the official national auxiliary language.
I believe it could potentially work, and could be a good idea, but it would take lots of effort.
Gonzo, are you prepared to take on the task? I'll provide moral support!
Canada should not add or reduce the number of official languages. English and French are the founding cultures of our nation; they are the only languages that need to be recognized.
As for a Native aboriginal language as a third official language, this would be a good idea if there were one main language, however every tribe across the country has its own language.
Other languages from immigrant populations should not be added, there is no need.
As for reduction to one, how can a country like Switzerland survive with 4 official languages? I think most people who have a negative feeling toward bilingualism feel that way because they can't speak the other language.
I've heard from some Westerners that French is useless, and not needed. They question why they should learn another language. When was learning to communicate with more people a bad idea? Learning and speaking French is easy, but it takes time and practice. Bilingualism can work. Look at Montreal, Ottawa, Sudbury, Moncton!
I love going to Ottawa, where folk jump from one language to another. A person can speak French and be answered in English and everyone understands.
If we were to have one language then it should be Franglais or Frenglish, then everyone is happy!
As for a Native aboriginal language as a third official language, this would be a good idea if there were one main language, however every tribe across the country has its own language.
Other languages from immigrant populations should not be added, there is no need.
As for reduction to one, how can a country like Switzerland survive with 4 official languages? I think most people who have a negative feeling toward bilingualism feel that way because they can't speak the other language.
I've heard from some Westerners that French is useless, and not needed. They question why they should learn another language. When was learning to communicate with more people a bad idea? Learning and speaking French is easy, but it takes time and practice. Bilingualism can work. Look at Montreal, Ottawa, Sudbury, Moncton!
I love going to Ottawa, where folk jump from one language to another. A person can speak French and be answered in English and everyone understands.
If we were to have one language then it should be Franglais or Frenglish, then everyone is happy!
They come to Canada because of our policy on Freedom of Religion"
I believe that it is the right of every child to be safe. Many of the immigrants come from countries where it is not safe. My daughter has 2 friends who's parents came here because of this. I believe my daughter to be a better person for knowing them.
Canada has no culture except what was taken from other cultures. Yes, we've made it our own......However, it comes from England, Ireland, Scotland, Poladt, Germany, Russia, Multiple Scandanavian countries, Italy, etc,etc.
Consider it an evolving culture. Because it's better to evolve then to de-evolve.....or become stagnant. Nothing grows or thrives when it becomes stagnant.
"Canada should not add or reduce the number of official languages. English and French are the founding cultures of our nation; they are the only languages that need to be recognized. "
Or so the victors said. After all, muskets are far superior to arrows, and hstory is written by the victors. Maight doesn't make right.
"As for a Native aboriginal language as a third official language, this would be a good idea if there were one main language, however every tribe across the country has its own language. "
Have the natives even been consulted on the idea. After all, this is a democracy, and they're the minority, so what is their voice worth anyway?
"Other languages from immigrant populations should not be added, there is no need. "
I can agree with that on economic grounds.
"As for reduction to one, how can a country like Switzerland survive with 4 official languages? I think most people who have a negative feeling toward bilingualism feel that way because they can't speak the other language. "
They stay in their part of the country?
"I've heard from some Westerners that French is useless, and not needed. They question why they should learn another language. When was learning to communicate with more people a bad idea? Learning and speaking French is easy, but it takes time and practice. Bilingualism can work. Look at Montreal, Ottawa, Sudbury, Moncton! "
Terrible examples! I'm fluent in both French and English. Mind you, my mother speaks French, and my father English. I also know Esperanto, maind you, it's easy. I also can get by in Chinese, but then again, I live in China. I'm also studying Arabic and Persian, but then again, I've got the motivation to do so.
Most people haven't got the environment, English and French are difficult (proof, if they weren't everyone in Canada would be bilingual by now with all the investment gone into the schools, no?), and add to that that most don't have sufficient motivation to learn such difficult languages!
"I love going to Ottawa, where folk jump from one language to another. A person can speak French and be answered in English and everyone understands. "
I've lived in Ottawa too, and didn't find it so bilingual myself.
"If we were to have one language then it should be Franglais or Frenglish, then everyone is happy!"
Hmmm.... really? There's a one way ticket to Quebec Sovereignty!
Or so the victors said. After all, muskets are far superior to arrows, and hstory is written by the victors. Maight doesn't make right.
"As for a Native aboriginal language as a third official language, this would be a good idea if there were one main language, however every tribe across the country has its own language. "
Have the natives even been consulted on the idea. After all, this is a democracy, and they're the minority, so what is their voice worth anyway?
"Other languages from immigrant populations should not be added, there is no need. "
I can agree with that on economic grounds.
"As for reduction to one, how can a country like Switzerland survive with 4 official languages? I think most people who have a negative feeling toward bilingualism feel that way because they can't speak the other language. "
They stay in their part of the country?
"I've heard from some Westerners that French is useless, and not needed. They question why they should learn another language. When was learning to communicate with more people a bad idea? Learning and speaking French is easy, but it takes time and practice. Bilingualism can work. Look at Montreal, Ottawa, Sudbury, Moncton! "
Terrible examples! I'm fluent in both French and English. Mind you, my mother speaks French, and my father English. I also know Esperanto, maind you, it's easy. I also can get by in Chinese, but then again, I live in China. I'm also studying Arabic and Persian, but then again, I've got the motivation to do so.
Most people haven't got the environment, English and French are difficult (proof, if they weren't everyone in Canada would be bilingual by now with all the investment gone into the schools, no?), and add to that that most don't have sufficient motivation to learn such difficult languages!
"I love going to Ottawa, where folk jump from one language to another. A person can speak French and be answered in English and everyone understands. "
I've lived in Ottawa too, and didn't find it so bilingual myself.
"If we were to have one language then it should be Franglais or Frenglish, then everyone is happy!"
Hmmm.... really? There's a one way ticket to Quebec Sovereignty!
"Canada should not add or reduce the number of official languages. English and French are the founding cultures of our nation; they are the only languages that need to be recognized. "
Or so the victors said. After all, muskets are far superior to arrows, and hstory is written by the victors. Might doesn't make right.
"As for a Native aboriginal language as a third official language, this would be a good idea if there were one main language, however every tribe across the country has its own language. "
Have the natives even been consulted on the idea. After all, this is a democracy, and they're the minority, so what is their voice worth anyway?
"Other languages from immigrant populations should not be added, there is no need. "
I can agree with that on economic grounds.
"As for reduction to one, how can a country like Switzerland survive with 4 official languages? I think most people who have a negative feeling toward bilingualism feel that way because they can't speak the other language. "
They stay in their part of the country?
"I've heard from some Westerners that French is useless, and not needed. They question why they should learn another language. When was learning to communicate with more people a bad idea? Learning and speaking French is easy, but it takes time and practice. Bilingualism can work. Look at Montreal, Ottawa, Sudbury, Moncton! "
Terrible examples! I'm fluent in both French and English. Mind you, my mother speaks French, and my father English. I also know Esperanto, maind you, it's easy. I also can get by in Chinese, but then again, I live in China. I'm also studying Arabic and Persian, but then again, I've got the motivation to do so.
Most people haven't got the environment, English and French are difficult (proof, if they weren't everyone in Canada would be bilingual by now with all the investment gone into the schools, no?), and add to that that most don't have sufficient motivation to learn such difficult languages!
"I love going to Ottawa, where folk jump from one language to another. A person can speak French and be answered in English and everyone understands. "
I've lived in Ottawa too, and didn't find it so bilingual myself.
"If we were to have one language then it should be Franglais or Frenglish, then everyone is happy!"
I might go for that as an official auxiliary language.
Or so the victors said. After all, muskets are far superior to arrows, and hstory is written by the victors. Might doesn't make right.
"As for a Native aboriginal language as a third official language, this would be a good idea if there were one main language, however every tribe across the country has its own language. "
Have the natives even been consulted on the idea. After all, this is a democracy, and they're the minority, so what is their voice worth anyway?
"Other languages from immigrant populations should not be added, there is no need. "
I can agree with that on economic grounds.
"As for reduction to one, how can a country like Switzerland survive with 4 official languages? I think most people who have a negative feeling toward bilingualism feel that way because they can't speak the other language. "
They stay in their part of the country?
"I've heard from some Westerners that French is useless, and not needed. They question why they should learn another language. When was learning to communicate with more people a bad idea? Learning and speaking French is easy, but it takes time and practice. Bilingualism can work. Look at Montreal, Ottawa, Sudbury, Moncton! "
Terrible examples! I'm fluent in both French and English. Mind you, my mother speaks French, and my father English. I also know Esperanto, maind you, it's easy. I also can get by in Chinese, but then again, I live in China. I'm also studying Arabic and Persian, but then again, I've got the motivation to do so.
Most people haven't got the environment, English and French are difficult (proof, if they weren't everyone in Canada would be bilingual by now with all the investment gone into the schools, no?), and add to that that most don't have sufficient motivation to learn such difficult languages!
"I love going to Ottawa, where folk jump from one language to another. A person can speak French and be answered in English and everyone understands. "
I've lived in Ottawa too, and didn't find it so bilingual myself.
"If we were to have one language then it should be Franglais or Frenglish, then everyone is happy!"
I might go for that as an official auxiliary language.