Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Adventurer]

'Parlez-vous anglais?': Canada's Anglos struggle with French
Tue Sep 25, 7:05 PM



MONTREAL (AFP) - A majority of Canada's anglophones admit to having a subpar knowledge of the French language, but support the country's official bilingual policy, a poll out Tuesday showed.

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About 70 percent of anglophones want to be more proficient in French, a language that only five percent of them say they speak, read and write fluently, according to the Angus Reid Strategies poll.


English is the mother tongue of 17.3 million Canadians, while French is the first language for 6.7 million people, most of whom live in Quebec province, according to the latest census in 2001.


The census also counted 5.2 million people who consider themselves bilingual, representing 17.7 percent of Canada's population.


Some 44 percent of anglophones admit having no French speaking ability, while 43 percent say they have some knowledge. For reading, 43 percent have no ability and 45 percent some knowledge, while 57 percent say they have no writing ability and 33 percent claim some knowledge.


Despite their lack of French-speaking skills, 58 percent of anglophones say Canada should continue to have two official languages and 56 percent say they should know at least a little French, the poll found.


Only about six percent say they are highly proficient in each language skill.


The highest rate of bilingualism among anglophones was in Quebec, where 80 percent say they are highly proficient or fluent French speakers and 56 percent can read the language.


In Canadian provinces outside Quebec, French is the second most widely spoken language, followed closely by Mandarin.


Statistics Canada, a government agency, will release in December its most recent language census.


http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/070925/canada/canada_language

[Pluto]

I am an anglophone, though an American one. I have to say though I never found learning Spanish that difficult, at least compared to Koeran. I feel I have a high degree of fluency in Spanish so I wonder what the statistics are for bilingual Americans. It seems to be de moda right now to learn Spanish among politicians and business people.
I know that Americans are famous for not knowing second languages although I think that trend has been changing in the last decade or so due to the gaining Latino culture within American society.
As far as French is concerned, I cannot speak nor understand it. However, reading in French is quite easy I find. I have no problems reading signs or even newspapers in French.

[littlelisa]

In Quebec, I would never call myself bilingual, because I'd only use that term to Francophone Quebecers if I spoke both languages perfectly. I'd call myself bilingual everywhere outside Quebec (and maybe some other French speaking countries). I can certainly communicate very well in French, though I have a slight accent, and sometimes mix up gender of objects.

In Quebec, most Anglos speak French well. Outside Quebec, only New Brunswick and parts of Ontario are really bilingual. I think a small community somewhere in Alberta too. Officially, only New Brunswick is a bilingual province. Quebec is French, and the others are all English provinces. Since other provinces rarely hear much French anyway except for a little bit in the classroom, it's no surprise that most are not bilingual.

Actually, I don't know why this information would be a surprise to anyone.

[Zutronius]

I def. wish I had a firm grasp on the second language of my country.

[peppermint]

And this is news how?

[IncognitoHFX]

[blaseblasphemener]

[mindmetoo]

[IncognitoHFX]

[Pluto]

[stevemcgarrett]

Not to be merely flippant, but my response is: "So what?"

Yes, I know Canada is multiculturally obsessed and bilingual. Again, I say, "So what?"

Multiculturalism is one thing; but giving equal status to two languages at the national level I find foolish and divisive, which is why the patronization of Spanish in the U.S. bothers me so much. That and the fact that Spanish speakers are the only linguistic group who the American government panders to. It's all about votes and money--reaching out to consumers.

[Adventurer]

[Adventurer]

[Pluto]

[Paddycakes]