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| From | Jaimie Vernon <bullseyecanada@hotmail.com> |
| Subject | Re: He Has Spoken |
| Date | Thu, 20 Dec 2007 23:17:07 -0500 |
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> Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:15:30 +0000
>> That got me wondering what percentage it actually is that don't
> speak French
>> and here's what I found on Wikipedia. It looks like about 75 % of
> Canadians
>> speak English only but if you go outside the province of Quebec to
> the other
>> 9 provinces and 3 territories, 90 % of the population speaks only or
> mainly
>> English:
>
> Okay, do you really think Wikipedia is a good source of information? A
> site that you can add/delete whatever you want to? Terribly
> unreliable, Jesus was born in 1942, according to them/it.
Obviously Wikipedia is a source of much misinformation. Everyone knows Jesus wasn't born...he was delivered by immaculate C-section.
> Honestly though, French is a mandatory subject in school in ALL
> Canadian provinces, up to Grade 6. After that, it is an
> option/elective. Some provinces it is mandatory up to Grade 8.
> Regardless, anyone who grew up in Canada and is under 35 should have a
> basic understanding of French. Every major city has a French TV
> channel, and all of our packaging is bilingual. It seems rather
> strange to me that Canadians don't seem to recognize that.
Yeah....ummm....
Not sure which province you're from, Mr. Bilious, but neither of my children were required to take French in school until Grade 4. My son started this year -- he'll be 10 in February. My neighbourhood and most of the city I live in (Scarborough) is Chinese or Sri Lankan. My son is one of seven caucasian children in a his public school. French is being taught as a THIRD language....Chinese is the 2nd.
I know two people in my entire circle of influence who knows French. They turned 40 and 42 respectively this year. The 40 year old works for me. She understands French (as does my wife...so three people) but cannot speak it. She learned to comprehend it as part of her job as communications officer for the Prime Minister's office. That's a pretty rare and elite job....which makes her less than typical of an average Canadian.
My daughter is in French immersion. Her TEACHER can't speak fluent French....and she's 23. There is an illusion that this country is bilingual. Quebec has it. A lot of Manitoba and New Brunswick have it. The rest of us, well, not so much. You and Mike Vancha can debate government stats all you want but aside from being hit over the head with French on my cereal box because the Quebec language Nazis won a victory over the Anglophonies, I don't see it....and am certainly unaffected by it.
Oh, and the two French language channels (12 and 13) on my TV have a combined viewer ship of less than 5,000 people across the province.
Jaime Vernon,
C'est What?
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