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Learning French does not prevent one from learning Chinese as well.
Correct, and I have learned both while living in Vancouver. The issue is convincing the western population that the language debate should matter to them, because right now, it does not.
You believe a lot of things about a place that you don't know anything about!
It would be lovely if children could grow up learning both languages plus an additional language but in practical reality, it isn't going to happen on a large scale. Mine do - they are in a trilingual school (with Spanish) but that is my choice.
I'm an ESL teacher. I know about language learning and I love languages (I know English obviously, I speak intermediate French, and I have taken years of Mandarin and Japanese).
But let's talk practical reality. In BC, I was a 911 operator for years before becoming a teacher. Do you know what language I used over and over again in my DAILY LIFE? Aside from English?
It was Mandarin.
Let's talk about what "useful" means. What is USEFUL? Please, tell me - do you think that a unilingual francophone has ever needed a translation when applying for a driver's license? Doubtful. What about Mandarin? Holy heck, you better believe it.
Yes, I think you dream of a united Canada based on language, but you are also coming from your central Canadian perspective that the west actually cares that much about the central Canadian language debate. I can assure you, it is irrelevant in practical daily life in British Columbia. Western Canadians also in general tend to resent any imposition of learning French becausethat is seen as imposing central Canadian perspective on them.
Everyone being bilingual is a noble idea but for many their whole lives are in one particular language work,school,friends,social interaction around town,i'm not quite getting what the motivation is for these people to all of a sudden start learning and speaking another language, if i werent living in Quebec but somewhere else in the ROC why would i want to speak anything other than the language of predominance which most probably would be English.
Isn't Cantonese more widespread here in Canada than Mandarin?
Bill 14 is another attack on language rights in Quebec and no self-respecting anglophone, allophone or even francophone should be in favour of its passage.
Bill 14 is another attack on language rights in Quebec and no self-respecting anglophone, allophone or even francophone should be in favour of its passage.
Agreed!! reading a summary of what bill14 intends is eye opening ,, like REALLY!! you cant be serious,,,let me assure you the separatist government is very serious about it.... CBC.ca Montreal - Interactive - Highlights from Bill 14
Who could possibly want to live under such repressive legislation,just reading these posted highlights has got to tell the outside observer this aint right in fact its absurd and sounds like an illegal suspension of human rights/civil liberties.. And then theres bill101 which is just page after page of this kind of stuff.
I cant seriously believe for a moment the rest oif Canada will agree to living under these linguistic laws to make buddy buddy with our compatriots from Quebec.
Correct, and I have learned both while living in Vancouver. The issue is convincing the western population that the language debate should matter to them, because right now, it does not.
Why should the language debate matter to the western population?
I cant seriously believe for a moment the rest oif Canada will agree to living under these linguistic laws to make buddy buddy with our compatriots from Quebec.
As silly as so-called "Bill 14" is, the "rest of Canada" doesn't have to agree or disagree. Bill 14 is a provincial draft bill and would have no effect on those outside of Quebec.
As silly as so-called "Bill 14" is, the "rest of Canada" doesn't have to agree or disagree. Bill 14 is a provincial draft bill and would have no effect on those outside of Quebec.
Just basic human nature to react when seeing curtailment of human rights no matter where it is.
Not that i ever heard of, but to stereotype a bit it was a given that for the longest time the English had the money and set up the industrial infrastructure of Quebec,it was a natural occurrence for those with the money to inhabit the head offices of most companies and to surround themselves with Anglophone co workers, the Francophone for the most part were relegated to the factory floors and related labor jobs.. i have a feeling our New member Pierrepaul could answer that question more precisely...
Last edited by jambo101; 07-17-2013 at 05:19 PM..
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But let's talk practical reality. In BC, I was a 911 operator for years before becoming a teacher. Do you know what language I used over and over again in my DAILY LIFE? Aside from English? 
