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To be honest, when we were in Quebec we were surprised how bad the general standard of English seemed to be.
That doesn't surprise me. When I lived in St Pete, Fl, the people from Quebec (who we knew understood English perfectly well) were notorious for speaking their own brand of French to people they knew didn't speak it. hen they would get huffy that no one understood them. Hey, this is America, and English is your basic national language. So don't get miffed if people here don't speak French. Buy yourself a travel book or something.
They were also some of the rudest people I have ever met, and it wasn't just me that experienced that. The people from the rest of Canada were basically like Americans and very pleasant to be around, but the gulf between them and the folks from Quebec was huge. We have lots of native French speakers in Louisiana, and none of them act like that. So I see Quebec as the worst world example, not the best.
That doesn't surprise me. When I lived in St Pete, Fl, the people from Quebec (who we knew understood English perfectly well) were notorious for speaking their own brand of French to people they knew didn't speak it. hen they would get huffy that no one understood them. Hey, this is America, and English is your basic national language. So don't get miffed if people here don't speak French. Buy yourself a travel book or something.
They were also some of the rudest people I have ever met, and it wasn't just me that experienced that. The people from the rest of Canada were basically like Americans and very pleasant to be around, but the gulf between them and the folks from Quebec was huge. We have lots of native French speakers in Louisiana, and none of them act like that. So I see Quebec as the worst world example, not the best.
For some reason unknown to me, the French speaking people in Quebec seemed to really like Australians and would get quite excited at times when they found out where we were from. Not that the other Canadians and Americans have been unfriendly, but the French Canadians enabled us to have a wonderful time there in Quebec.
However, I have generally found English spoken a lot more in Europe and parts of Asia.
They probably do have a shortage of French teachers. Australia is known as a language graveyard despite having an even higher proportion of the population not born here than does Canada. Not enough language teachers and of course we do not have a second language like Canada, but multiple languages.
People seem to really love dunking on French Canadians. Their language is not “inferior” to France French. I can’t stand when people say stuff like that. France had a very strict anti-dialect policy from the 1800s to the even after the World War II era where they successfully almost eradicated all the local dialects in their country in favour of a standardized form of French based on one particular region in central France. Most of Europe like Italy, Scotland and Germany have done similar things during the same time period. Quebec French is closer to a nearly extinct dialect from the Atlantic coast of France around Normandy where a lot of French Canada’s ancestors came from. Louisiana and Maritime Acadian French is closer to the Gascon dialects further South, hence the differences there. Do you not see the irony of an American or Canadian criticizing Canadian French as being improper when our own dialects of English are so far removed from how it’s spoken in England?
What would be the point of such an exercise? The French taught in Canadian schools is nothing like the actual French language spoken in France. I live in the GTA and the only time I hear French is if I put on CPAC or the Environment Canada automated weather forecast on the radio. I took French in school from grade 6 to grade 9, passed every year and cannot speak a word of it. Most people I know can't speak a word of it. I know more Spanish than French probably because it is far more useful when I travel down south.
So other than appeasing Quebec, what would be the point of French immersion for everyone? It's not like Canadian French is a language of commerce spoken worldwide. Outside of Canada, very few places speak it (if any). In that sense it is about as useful as Irish Gaelic (which is probably a far better example of language preservation in the world). Would teaching Canadian children basic economics and money management not be a far better use of our tax dollars?
Good Morning MickIlhenny,
Thank you for bringing this up! I agree with many points that you have made.
Let's be frank MickIlhenny, there really is no purpose in forcing French on anglo Canada. The concept of a bilingual Canada has been a complete failure. The result has been hostility from anglos, and time wasted for the Quebecois. Anglo Canada is in the process of becoming a largely Indo-Chinese population, yet here we are venting frustrations about Quebec.
The truth is that Canada has morphed into a state that offers little of value to Quebec. It is time for Quebec to begin moving towards a secure future of our nation. Our culture cannot survive within the current state of Canada and we cannot afford to become like Ontario or other anglo ROC provinces. Canada is a world laughing stock; the example that first world nations know not to follow.
Here are a few steps for moving forward:
Canada will continue to work in conjunction with Quebec on transfer payments.
Canada will also divest herself from Ottawa, transfer the west bank to Quebec, and pay for the full francization of that city.
Canada will cede Quebec full control of her own immigration policy. Quebecois will now decide who lives in Quebec.
Canada will agree to free movement between the two nations. A Quebecois and an Ontarian will still be able to move between the two nations.
Canada will also work with Quebec's military through this process. Those who wish to serve Canada may do so, and those loyal to Quebec will be allowed to remain.
Quebec will allow Canada to continue promoting French to ROC anglos as they see fit.
Thank you for bringing this up! I agree with many points that you have made.
Let's be frank MickIlhenny, there really is no purpose in forcing French on anglo Canada. The concept of a bilingual Canada has been a complete failure. The result has been hostility from anglos, and time wasted for the Quebecois. Anglo Canada is in the process of becoming a largely Indo-Chinese population, yet here we are venting frustrations about Quebec.
The truth is that Canada has morphed into a state that offers little of value to Quebec. It is time for Quebec to begin moving towards a secure future of our nation. Our culture cannot survive within the current state of Canada and we cannot afford to become like Ontario or other anglo ROC provinces. Canada is a world laughing stock; the example that first world nations know not to follow.
Here are a few steps for moving forward:
Canada will continue to work in conjunction with Quebec on transfer payments.
Canada will also divest herself from Ottawa, transfer the west bank to Quebec, and pay for the full francization of that city.
Canada will cede Quebec full control of her own immigration policy. Quebecois will now decide who lives in Quebec.
Canada will agree to free movement between the two nations. A Quebecois and an Ontarian will still be able to move between the two nations.
Canada will also work with Quebec's military through this process. Those who wish to serve Canada may do so, and those loyal to Quebec will be allowed to remain.
Quebec will allow Canada to continue promoting French to ROC anglos as they see fit.
1995 called, they want their political stances back
What would be the point of such an exercise? The French taught in Canadian schools is nothing like the actual French language spoken in France.
This is not true at all. There is no such thing as formal teaching of Canadian (Québec) French and no such thing as Canadian (Québec) French grammar books or official dictionaries. Sure, there are Québécois dictionaries but they are more novelty items than actual teaching aids. Similar to books like "Your Guide to Speaking Southern".
Besides schools, how did Israel ensure its population chose Hebrew rather than Arabic or Yiddish or English or something as a common language? Did/do they have an equivalent of Bill 101? It is pretty crazy they were able to revive a strictly religious language at the time and make probably 10 million or so people fluent in it in the span of like 100 years. Maybe even like 50 or 60 years. Maybe some indigenous languages in Canada could be revived a similar way.
That doesn't surprise me. When I lived in St Pete, Fl, the people from Quebec (who we knew understood English perfectly well) were notorious for speaking their own brand of French to people they knew didn't speak it. hen they would get huffy that no one understood them. Hey, this is America, and English is your basic national language. So don't get miffed if people here don't speak French. Buy yourself a travel book or something.
They were also some of the rudest people I have ever met, and it wasn't just me that experienced that. The people from the rest of Canada were basically like Americans and very pleasant to be around, but the gulf between them and the folks from Quebec was huge. We have lots of native French speakers in Louisiana, and none of them act like that. So I see Quebec as the worst world example, not the best.
When I was younger I encountered a lot of Quebecois on the Maine coast in the summer, they used to act like they didn't know English which I really didn't care about. It was the speedos that the men wore that was ugly to me.
They also were very insular and seemingly unfriendly.
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