Oh Canada!!

One Song Glory

Ahnimus wrote:

How can you prove that one language is more difficult to learn that others? Don't you think Cantonese is pretty hard to learn? Have you ever tried to learn it?

English is not an official language in Quebec.

So, you think we should not have a universal language? Or should we reverse the spread of english and make french the universal language?

And, I'm still not understanding how any of this has anything to do with indigenous peoples. Quebec is not an indigenous province, nor are Quebecois indigenous peoples.

What are you on about? I didn't make up facts: English has been proven to be the hardest second language to learn. As a first language, of course it seems easy. We've been speaking it since we were a year old!

As per your question of whether I think French should be the official language of the whole bloody world, I say no. No language should be. And I have nothing against English (I'm an English major!), just those who think they are superior because they speak it.

And I repeat, English AND FRENCH are the official languages of ALL of Canada. Quebec is not a separate country, therefore English is still an official language.

Ahnimus

One Song Glory wrote:

What are you on about? I didn't make up facts: English has been proven to be the hardest second language to learn. As a first language, of course it seems easy. We've been speaking it since we were a year old!

As per your question of whether I think French should be the official language of the whole bloody world, I say no. No language should be. And I have nothing against English (I'm an English major!), just those who think they are superior because they speak it.

And I repeat, English AND FRENCH are the official languages of ALL of Canada. Quebec is not a separate country, therefore English is still an official language.

What proof is there that English is the hardest language to learn? I think any proof of that is subjective. English is a decendant of German that incorporates a lot of french and latin. Couldn't it be assumed that a person natively speaking french, german or latin would find english easier to learn than a native hindu speaker and wouldn't they find it easier to learn something like Arabic?

I don't think I am superior because I speak english. I've often stated that I wish I was born in a french family so I wouldn't have to learn french and I'd likely already know english. I'm at a disadvantage for being born into a solely english speaking family.

And I repeat, English is not an official language in Quebec.

The passing of Bill 22 under the leadership of the Bourassa government, in 1974, became an important issue during the Quebec elections of November 1976. The bill had come under attack from the anglophone community and from those, in the francophone community, who thought that the bill did not go far enough. Once in power, the new government of the Parti Québécois, led by René Levesque, first issued a white paper on language, then introduced Bill 1, and later a revised version of it, Bill 101, titled Charte de la langue française. The bill, as it was passed in the summer of 1977, proclaimed French as the official language in Quebec for just about every facet of life in the province: government, judicial system, education, advertising, business, contracts, etc. For example, the bill required that all advertising on billboards be done in French only and that all commercial signs in business establishments be in French alone. All public administrations and businesses had to address their employees in French. All government agencies were directed to use the Official language in their dealings with corporations and other governments in Canada. Government Ministries and Agencies, as well as professional associations in Quebec, were to be known by their French name. The laws of the province were to be enacted in French although an English translation might also be made (and indeed continued to be made after bill 101). English education was to be restricted mostly to those already in the system, their siblings, those temporarily posted in Quebec or whose parents had themselves received an English elementary education in the province. While the bill was very prescriptive in several respects, it showed considerable flexibility in connection to businesses, especially head offices of international and national corporations centred in Quebec. While francization programmes were instituted for businesses, they were limited to businesses of more than 50 employees.
http://www2.marianopolis.edu/quebechistory/readings/langlaws.htm

Derrick

who cares....it's not hard to learn the basics of either french or english to get by...you could do it in a weekend.

secondly....I was born in canada and all of my European ancestry is _many_ generations removed. I am Canadian and I am indiginous to Canada.

Between Income Tax and Sales Tax, well over 60% of every dollar I make is taken by the government.

I paid for every cent of my university education.

I got a mortgage with my wife, and we PAID for our own house.

so yeah, when I have to drive _around_ Caledonia to get to Toronto, you're damn right I get a bit pissed off...

Ahnimus

Derrick wrote:

who cares....it's not hard to learn the basics of either french or english to get by...you could do it in a weekend.

secondly....I was born in canada and all of my European ancestry is _many_ generations removed. I am Canadian and I am indiginous to Canada.

Between Income Tax and Sales Tax, well over 60% of every dollar I make is taken by the government.

I paid for every cent of my university education.

I got a mortgage with my wife, and we PAID for our own house.

so yeah, when I have to drive _around_ Caledonia to get to Toronto, you're damn right I get a bit pissed off...

Yup, and there was those people stuck in Toronto because the natives in another region in support of their "brothers" in Caledonia, set fires on the railway and stopped trains from leaving Toronto.

PaperPlates

thankyougrandma wrote:

Wow, listen dude, i have nothing more to discuss with you, at least when discussing those issues with peoples like Surferdude or Rockin or Reborn, i get a feeling of discussion, and a feeling we can all learn from each others. I get nothing to get from a discussion with you, you sound like a little whiny poor little kid, you're ignorance is everywhere : "I don't understand what exactly your point is. Why doesn't Quebec sign the constitution? Is Quebec afraid of it?" damn it's not even a point i've made, it's a fact about Canadian history, go back to educate yourself about it. Go read about the two Quebec referendum and the two federal accord that failed, go get a clue for your own self interest.

Also you seem to be over your own business about "french speaking people" and you're acting like being part of a superior race and acting condescendant towards everyone speaking french (the same as you did in those first nations thread, funny relation), look i'm french speaking, i've encountered more french speaking idiots than you'll ever do in your life, i have no lessons to get from you about these peoples, i got my nose broken, insulted and whatever by french speaking people, i'm also one of them, you show how limited you are in your judment by making all the french sound bad, and not even saying that the same happen by english speaking people, just go live your own life not coming to Quebec if you're afraid of coming here, i know some people on this board not talking french who came to Quebec and had a blast, it's your own ignorant loss.

Imagine how us Americans feel.

thankyougrandma

Absolutly nothing to do with the thread subject, but since the thread took a turn in that direction (and yes i know it's my fault), here's a tiny small article for the guy (and everyone) saying he won't come in Quebec cause he don't speak french. Also very pleasant to read, as oppose to all the Quebec bashing crap you can read in most major Canadian newspapers (Toronto Star might be the exception).

Our French family

By VictorBowman
Oct 06 2006

It is easy to love the province of Quebec and the Quebecois. We had the opportunity of spending well over a week in this lovely province. In addition to having some extra time, we also had the guidance of an old friend that has lived in the Montreal area his whole life. He knows many of the people and understands how they think.

We covered a lot of ground around the Montreal area and met a variety of people. I was surprised by the number of Quebeckers who spoke english. The stories of people visiting Quebec having problems because they are unilingual English are a myth. On some occasions, I encountered people who had little or no English. My 47-year-old French was not much help either. Nonetheless, we managed to transact our bit of business in a satisfactory manner and with good cheer. In the cities of Montreal and Quebec all of the people in the service industries spoke both languages.

My impression of the Province of Quebec and Quebeckers was a positive one. When you have the opportunity of meeting the every day, you begin to realize how slanted our opinion frequently is. Opinions molded by media are often far from the truth and that is how most of us in the west get our information. They report the sensational and give every event the gloomiest interpretation they can. We in English speaking Canada have an impression of our French speaking citizens that is biased and often very wrong.

They are proud of their history and their culture and so they should be. They add a dimension to this country of Canada that makes us, as a country, more aware and sympathetic. The character of this Canada of ours is influenced by many cultures but the French Canadian culture is part of the very foundation of who we are as a nation.

They wish to preserve their culture as do many other groups. While some do believe an independent nation would be best, most of the ordinary people I met believe that being French and Canadian at the same time is the best of all worlds. The separatists do exist but they have a separate agenda and frequently different political objective than the mainstream population.

We, as a country, need to work at maintaining a relationship all parts of the country can enjoy with each other. We all have our own character and values that have derived from where we live and how that region of the country has developed. Arrogance and prejudice has no place in the process of maintaining our individuality while also being a cohesive whole.

Quebecois have made a greater effort to maintain those bonds than much of the rest of Canada. We should be cheering on any effort that will give us better understanding and communications. Let’s promote and expand our French Immersion programs in our schools to give our young people of today the tools to deal with and appreciate the wonderful differences we have. It would be a good idea for those of us in the English speaking Canada made a greater effort to understand and appreciate our diversity.

A visit to the Province of Quebec is a wonderful experience. We not only participated in a different culture but to also walked the streets, fortifications and older parts of the cities and countryside that so many of the giants of our history had also walked. It gives one a greater sense of who we are and what we were.

Victor Bowman was born in Vanderhoof and raised in Prince George. He returned to this city to live 32 years ago and currently operates a consulting business. Please direct comments c/o editor@pgfreepress.com.

http://www.pgfreepress.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=26&cat=48&id=743845&more=

Ahnimus

First of all, I don't dislike Quebec. Secondly, I wouldn't go there for more reasons than I don't speak french. There is nothing there that I want to see.

I don't believe in culture and I have no desire to preserve it. So we are polar opposites, nothing more.

thankyougrandma

Ahnimus wrote:

First of all, I don't dislike Quebec. Secondly, I wouldn't go there for more reasons than I don't speak french. There is nothing there that I want to see.

I don't believe in culture and I have no desire to preserve it. So we are polar opposites, nothing more.

good then.........

Ahnimus

Haha, I don't know what's funniest about these lyrics.

Weird Al Yankovic Canadian Idiot Lyrics
Don't want to be a Canadian idiot

Dont want to be some beer swillin' hockey nut
and do I look like some frost bitten hosehead
I never learned my alphabet from A to zed

They all live on donuts and moose meat
and they leave the house without packin' heat
never even bring their guns to the mall
and you know what else is too funny
their stupid monopoly money
can't take 'em seriously at all

Well maple syrup and snow's what they export
they treat curling just like it's a real sport
they think their silly accent is so cute
can't understand a thing they're talking aboot

sure they got their national health care
cheaper meds low crime rates and clean air
then again well they got celine dion
eat their weight in kraft macaroni
and dream of driving a zamboni
all over saskatchewan

Don't want to be a Canadian idiot

Won't figure out the temperature in Celcius
see the map they're hovering right over us
tell you the truth it makes me kinda nervous

always hear the same kind of story
break their nose and they'll just say sorry
tell me what kind of freaks are that polite
It's gotta mean they're all up to something
so quick before they see it coming
time for a pre-emptive strike