Language in the Provinces

[JMH]

It's time for Canada to wake-up concerning language.

In the modern North American world, French is of virtually no use whatsoever. I would like my child to learn Spanish. It is spoken by people everywhere on the Northern and Southern Continents. Apart from English, it is the primary language of our world. French is spoken in Quebec for the most part. This is silly.

I can understand teaching French to kids 100 years ago, but now its simply an anchronism.

[geoffrey]

It's time for Canada to wake-up concerning language.

In the modern North American world, French is of virtually no use whatsoever. I would like my child to learn Spanish. It is spoken by people everywhere on the Northern and Southern Continents. Apart from English, it is the primary language of our world. French is spoken in Quebec for the most part. This is silly.

I can understand teaching French to kids 100 years ago, but now its simply an anchronism.

Somewhat. Doing business in Africa, which has amazing development potential, requires French in alot of places. Did you know that much of South-East Asia speaks French too, more than English? Not to mention many Western European countries, only Spain speaks Spanish, but France, Belgium, Switzerland... all French speaking.

French has alot of value, as does Spanish. Get your kid to learn both, can't hurt!

[apollo19]

geoffrey just to be correct about spanish, most of south america (with the notable exception of brasil) speaks it. It is fairly useful throughout the world, and is the third most spoken language if I am correct -- the first being Chinese, and the second English.

[August1991]

It's time for Canada to wake-up concerning language.

In the modern North American world, French is of virtually no use whatsoever. I would like my child to learn Spanish. It is spoken by people everywhere on the Northern and Southern Continents. Apart from English, it is the primary language of our world. French is spoken in Quebec for the most part. This is silly.

I can understand teaching French to kids 100 years ago, but now its simply an anchronism.

By your logic, we should all start to learn a few hundred Chinese characters and baragouine a few words of Mandarin since, in this global village, Chinese is the future.

If Canada is to function as a "country" (however that word is defined), then people in the different parts of the country should ideally be able to communicate more or less with one another.

More important, people should possess firmly a first language - and a clear view of their place in the world. But realizing that there is another way to conduct life is a great discovery of existence. I cannot imagine understanding life truly without knowing other words to express existence.

----

JMH, your post is political. In this past federal election, voters around Quebec City handed English-Canada truly a last, golden chance to make this country work. Let's see what happens.

[geoffrey]

geoffrey just to be correct about spanish, most of south america (with the notable exception of brasil) speaks it. It is fairly useful throughout the world, and is the third most spoken language if I am correct -- the first being Chinese, and the second English.

Oh I know, my comments about Spanish only in Spain was in reference to European countries that speak it.

I was just stating the French is equally as valuable as spanish as a second language!

[Leafless]

August1991

You wrote- " If Canada is to function as a "country" (however that word is defined), then the people in different parts of this country should ideally be able to communicate more or less with one another."

You make Canada sound like some kind of 'Europe' when actually viewed from a practical geographical perspective consist of two countries Canada and the U.S. both commerically and residentially English with the exception of the province of Quebec which can be viewed as residentially French.

Quebec cannot be viewed as commercially French as it has no real commercial impact outside of the province of Quebec.

Quebec is the only province in Canada to label itself an official status "French" but this is only really accomplished with the help of the federal government and tax payers of Canada.

To suggest in Canada especially when a large percentage of French speaking Quebecers speak French and English and cannot communicate with each other is I think rather misleading.

[geoffrey]

Quebec cannot be viewed as commercially French as it has no real commercial impact outside of the province of Quebec.

Quebec has huge commerical impact outside of their province. There are numerous manufacturing and finacial powerhouses based out of Montreal.

[fellowtraveller]

Doing business in Africa, which has amazing development potential, requires French in alot of places.

I wonder how many billion times that 'Africas potential' has been mentioned in the last 50 years? There is little future in African markets for Canadian business. Their future, and it is unfortunately far from certain that there will be one, will be as a new source of cheap labour. Hard to see how we exploit that. Our economic/export future lies in the Pacific Rim, Europe will be increasingly closed to our goods and services, Africa has no money to buy anything......

Quebec has huge commerical impact outside of their province. There are numerous manufacturing and finacial powerhouses based out of Montreal.

And every one either operating en Englais, or perishing.

[geoffrey]

Doing business in Africa, which has amazing development potential, requires French in alot of places.

I wonder how many billion times that 'Africas potential' has been mentioned in the last 50 years? There is little future in African markets for Canadian business. Their future, and it is unfortunately far from certain that there will be one, will be as a new source of cheap labour. Hard to see how we exploit that. Our economic/export future lies in the Pacific Rim, Europe will be increasingly closed to our goods and services, Africa has no money to buy anything......

But plenty of natural resources that we wil need.

Quebec has huge commerical impact outside of their province. There are numerous manufacturing and finacial powerhouses based out of Montreal.

And every one either operating en Englais, or perishing.

True. Doesn't change the fact that Quebec has commerical power though.

[Leafless]

geoffrey

You wrote- " True, doesn't change the fact Quebec has commercial power though"

Do you have a link to your claim? It is a self serving nationalistic province that utilizes it's own manufactured products as much as possible without resorting to Canadian imports from other provinces but has no problem importing goods from France.

Just a few days ago it was found Quebec was importing ducks and eggs from France possibly infected with the H5n1 bird flu virus. I mean is there not enough chickens ducks etc. in Canada and the U.S. without resorting to importing questionable foreign poultry especially when Europe is having a problem in this area. Where is Health Canada?

Quebec is heavily reliant on federal resources to fund even giant companies like Bombardier and provided major funding towards projects like the James Bay hydro electrical producing facilities.

I said originally the language French is not commercially viable outside of Quebec and has no commerical impact or value in the ROC or the U.S.

[Leafless]

geoffrey

You wrote- " True, doesn't change the fact Quebec has commercial power though"

Do you have a link to your claim? It is a self serving nationalistic province that utilizes it's own manufactured products as much as possible without resorting to Canadian imports from other provinces but has no problem importing goods from France.

Just a few days ago it was found Quebec was importing ducks and eggs from France possibly infected with the H5n1 bird flu virus. I mean is there not enough chickens ducks etc. in Canada and the U.S. without resorting to importing questionable foreign poultry especially when Europe is having a problem in this area. Where is Health Canada?

Quebec is heavily reliant on federal resources to fund even giant companies like Bombardier and provided major funding towards projects like the James Bay hydro electrical producing facilities.

I said originally the language French is not commercially viable outside of Quebec and has no commerical impact or value in the ROC or the U.S.

[August1991]

August1991

You wrote- " If Canada is to function as a "country" (however that word is defined), then the people in different parts of this country should ideally be able to communicate more or less with one another."

You make Canada sound like some kind of 'Europe' when actually viewed from a practical geographical perspective consist of two countries Canada and the U.S. both commerically and residentially English with the exception of the province of Quebec which can be viewed as residentially French.

Quebec cannot be viewed as commercially French as it has no real commercial impact outside of the province of Quebec.

Quebec is the only province in Canada to label itself an official status "French" but this is only really accomplished with the help of the federal government and tax payers of Canada.

To suggest in Canada especially when a large percentage of French speaking Quebecers speak French and English and cannot communicate with each other is I think rather misleading.

Leafless, I'm a bit confused.

Iceland has a population of several hundred thousand, a unique language and one of the world's highest standards of living. (Who speaks Icelandic?) Iceland has little or no "commercial" impact outside of Iceland - but Icelanders can afford better holidays than Canadians.

Sweden and Finland, countries comparable in geographic size and population to Quebec, also have distinct languages, and are on the edge of a continent with hundreds of millions - just like Quebec borders America. Yet, Sweden and Finland have enviable standards of living for their citizens, and neither depends on Canadian taxpayers.

Maybe Quebec should follow the lead of Iceland, Sweden and Finland, and organize its own affairs its own way. Local politicians would decide better for the people of Quebec than politicians from elsewhere, who don't understand.

[geoffrey]

Leafless, I'm a bit confused.

Iceland has a population of several hundred thousand, a unique language and one of the world's highest standards of living. (Who speaks Icelandic?) Iceland has little or no "commercial" impact outside of Iceland - but Icelanders can afford better holidays than Canadians.

Sweden and Finland, countries comparable in geographic size and population to Quebec, also have distinct languages, and are on the edge of a continent with hundreds of millions - just like Quebec borders America. Yet, Sweden and Finland have enviable standards of living for their citizens, and neither depends on Canadian taxpayers.

Maybe Quebec should follow the lead of Iceland, Sweden and Finland, and organize its own affairs its own way. Local politicians would decide better for the people of Quebec than politicians from elsewhere, who don't understand.

August, in all honesty, are you a separtist?

I respect the concerns of separtists so don't see that as an attack. Your comments, replacing Quebec with Alberta, would be agreed to by 90% of my province. They are agreed to by myself. I agree that provinces need greater roles in determining their own affairs. But do you think Quebec would be better without Canada?

[Wilber]

It's time for Canada to wake-up concerning language.

In the modern North American world, French is of virtually no use whatsoever. I would like my child to learn Spanish. It is spoken by people everywhere on the Northern and Southern Continents. Apart from English, it is the primary language of our world. French is spoken in Quebec for the most part. This is silly.

I can understand teaching French to kids 100 years ago, but now its simply an anchronism.

Not sure what you are getting at here.

The reality is, this country has two official languages and French is one of them. Maybe not the most practilce language depending on where you live but surely two languages are better than one no matter what they are.

If you wish your child to learn something else, there is no law against it. For most people, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi, Punjabi, Japanese or Spanish would all be more practical than French in BC but no government should have to provide your child with an education in any language you choose. Or is your point that governments should not have to provide education in any language other than English?