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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 1:53 pm
This is a recent scandal that is happening in Canada (particularly Ottawa) in regards to bilingualism. There is a law in Canada that mandates all items and services be offered in French and English. For anything packaged, there must be English and French on it. There may be some leniency when in other provinces and cities because the majority of Canada does not speak French. In fact, there are no French communities out in British Columbia. So why should municipalities and even the province spent thousands (or millions) of dollars making people bilingual when there are no francophones around? Anyway, recently an Ottawa couple sued Air Canada for not having a flight attendant who also speaks French. Ottawa is a bilingual city (with English being spoken more than French), and the couple is fully bilingual and work for the federal government. If you watch the video in one of the links provided, you will hear how flawless his English is. The couple responded in French, and the gentleman did not receive his proper order: he ordered a 7-Up, but was given a Sprite. He sued the company for $500,000, but only received $12,000. This is ridiculous! Air Canada should offer services in both languages, but there was no actual problem here as they both speak perfect English. This had nothing to do with safety, and they were on their way to the U.S. And supposedly they've pulled this stunt multiple times! Language politics in Canada has gotten out of hand, and with with examples like this couple, is it any wonder why Anglophones don't get along with francophones? I live in Ottawa, and I can speak both languages, but I know so many people who only speak English. In this city where English is the most spoken language, you cannot get a job in a Starbucks without speaking French. People can't get minimum wage jobs without speaking French, despite the fact that the majority of encounters with people will be in English! Our public transit system has an automated stop announcement system (stops = intersections) in both languages, except the street names are English, so the French version is really the English street name with a French accent. i.e. Bank and Plymouth is pronounced: Bank et Plymouth, but there is no nasalization in Bank. Anyway. Read the articles and comments and tell me what you think. I think this is ridiculous. If you speak both languages well, does it matter which language you use? Especially for something so trivial? Clearly, they are professional con artists trying to make money off the bilingualism law... (Don't get my into Quebec language laws, though!) CTV Ottawa - with videoGlobe and Mail article
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 7:50 pm
I think in Canada they have to choose one language as the official language. like many other countries...for example in Iran there are lots of minorities and people can speak them but it is limited to their own cities and they can brand their local products with their local language.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:16 pm
I can't really say anything on it since here in America, almost everything is offered in English and Spanish (and sometimes other languages like French, Chinese, and here in California, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese). There's no law that I'm aware of that says everything needs to be translated between those languages (if there is, can anyone link me to it?), but items and services are still offered bilingually/multilingually.
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 9:02 am
The video wouldn't work for me, but the articles were enough for me to understand what happened. This is just wrong. I mean, I was under the immersion that most Canadians could speak French because of bilingual education, but if the couple could speak English, it's just wrong for them to do something like this! Maybe Canada should loosen up on their language laws in places where the majority of people speak English.
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 9:12 am
I've always considered the whole French in Canada thing to be absurd. Outside of Quebec, English should be the only official language.
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 11:12 am
Bokusenou The video wouldn't work for me, but the articles were enough for me to understand what happened. This is just wrong. I mean, I was under the immersion that most Canadians could speak French because of bilingual education, but if the couple could speak English, it's just wrong for them to do something like this! Maybe Canada should loosen up on their language laws in places where the majority of people speak English. The majority of Canadians don't speak French, but are expected to learn the language up until a certain grade. It differs from province to province because there aren't francophone populations all over. In British Columbia, I've heard that they started learning French in grade 4 and take it up to grade 9. In Ontario (I'm from Ottawa), I had to take it from kindergarten up to grade 9, but I continued it all throughout high school. Like all languages, people don't always learn and become bilingual in school due to certain inefficiencies in our second-language education system and lack of motivation to do so. Living in Ottawa, I was fortunate enough to be in French immersion and also be surrounded by francophone culture (we're a bilingual city right on the border between Ontario and Québec), and so I was able to practice and keep up what I learned. I do think we need to loosen our language laws because the whole issue has created a huge rift in the country. Many people are perfectly qualified for jobs, but aren't able to be hired because their level of French isn't at a fully bilingual level. It's just not fair, and I think we need to reevaluated the situation and our education. Also, I think a lot of people mistake Canada for being bilingual. Technically, we aren't; we just recognize to languages as our national language, and must offer services in both languages to everyone. The majority of people are monolingual Anglophones or francophones, with a minority of people being bilingual. Seinaru ite I've always considered the whole French in Canada thing to be absurd. Outside of Quebec, English should be the only official language. It is a bit absurd. However, Québec isn't the only French-speaking province. French populations exist in Manitoba, Ontario (called Franco-Ontariens), Québec (called Québecois), and New Brunswick (they are the only officially and legally bilingual province). There may even be pockets of francophones in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Don't forget about the Acadians! But why should people living in Briths Columbia, Alberta, or even the Yukon need to speak French? There's no one there who actually speaks it, except for ex-patriots. I still think it's useful to learn French (I am all for learning languages!), but I think Canada is a divided nation because of this problem. Furthermore, Québec has rejected anglo-culture because there are many separatists (souvranistes). I'm moving to Montréal in a month, and I know there are large pockets of Anglophones there, and there is some English on certain signs (although it's often in small lettering under the large and wonderfully visible French). But elsewhere in the province, you can't get services in English, despite the law that states that I, too, have the right to be served in my native language. Gatineau is a 5-minute walk across a bridge from Ottawa and is the place where the majority of francophones (and French public services employees) live in the National Capital Region. There is no English n signs there!
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Call Me Apple Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 1:23 pm
LOL! He cant understand, "Chicken or Beef?" In English eh? This is a joke. He wants money.
If he seriously did not know what was going on around him, I'd feel sorry for him. But his English is quite flawless, and to me, his accent sounds the same as the other Canadian people.
Is French even his "first" language?
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 2:22 pm
I know quite a few french speakers here in BC. I myself can sorta speak it but I'm better with reading. The law states that and there is no changing it without having all of the provinces agree. So, french is going to stay.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 6:34 pm
Okier - chan I know quite a few french speakers here in BC. I myself can sorta speak it but I'm better with reading. The law states that and there is no changing it without having all of the provinces agree. So, french is going to stay. Did you read the articles?
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 10:02 pm
Personally I think bilingualism is one of Canada's greatest strengths. I have no problem with it.
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 2:05 pm
Sockers Personally I think bilingualism is one of Canada's greatest strengths. I have no problem with it. Why do you think it's one of Canada's strengths? It actually seems to tear the country apart (cite: Quebec Separatism). It's gotten to the point where you can't get a job unless you are perfectly bilingual (a bilingual francophone, to be specific). I can further explain how our bilingualism is only a great idea in theory, but living the reality, it is awful.
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