How can the use of the French Language in Quebec be in decline, when more and more English speaking minorities are learning to speak French?
Yes if there is really a decline, then this should be fixed.
But what is disturbing is that the CAQ government may be encouraging bilingualism only for English-speaking Quebecers and not for French speaking Quebecers.
Does this not convey a type of master-servant relationship? The French must not ‘go down’ to speak the English language but the English must ‘come up’ to speak the French language.
Why should language separate people.
We should all bear in mind that language is just one part of a person’s culture and to speak some French does not instantly transform an English person into a French or vice versa.
In the Montreal Gazette of Sat. 25, 2022, page A3, a Presse Canadienne article, reported on a speech given by our Language minister, Mr Jolin–Barrette to the Academe francaise in Paris. I was not surprised at what he said.
He spoke on what he called,” The Anglo-American Steamroller. ”
The title suggests that powerful English North America is about to devour the little nation of French-speaking Quebec.
It is under the threat of being swallowed he named the English agents to be, GAFAM, (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft. ) responsible for this language steamrolling.
I believe that the real reason for encouraging the French people to learn some English, as most politicians, or at least encourage their children to do so, is to expose them to greater horizons and more opportunities. It was not to isolate or assimilate them.
Also, the more they will be able to speak English, the more
they will attract English-speaking people who will eventually learn French.
You do not attract people with language laws, and Quebec should not restrict the movement of its citizens by limiting their language skills.
The more language one speaks the better.
The French-speaking Quebecer who moves to Toronto does not surrender his culture, he continues to be French.
So Mr. Jolin-Barrette is building fences even though there is no imminent threat.
Older immigrants will tell you that they regret not learning French.
Similarly older unilingual French lament over their inability to speak some English. Times have changed and now is the right time to sow the seed of bilingualism to all.
We are all here as immigrants. Some came before the others We came with our different cultures. So Canada speaks proudly of its
Multiculturalism.
That is the acknowledgement and celebration of our individual culture.
According to the report Mr. Jolin-Barrette is against the very concept of Multiculturalism, suggesting that it recognises the different cultural communities which make up the fabric of
what is Canada.
So there is a German, Italian, Irish, Chinese, Black, Indigenous , French and many other communities and cultures.
Quebec with its French majority does not want to be a part of this conglomeration we call Canada. It has set itself apart based on its
numbers and language.
Mr. Jolin-Barrette is even critical of the bilingualisation of certain communities in Quebec where services are available in both languages.
For this the West Island has earned a lot of negative finger pointing. The report ended with an appeal to the French in France for their
help and support to fight off this big, bad wolf, North America, which is about to destroy Quebec.
So the government, convinced of this threat is already on the defensive protecting their nation status.
Just thinking out loud…
With what is happening in the U.S., with what is happening in Ukraine, and what could easily happen in Canada, I must be concerned.
For it seems that if LYING will get you what you want, then lie.
For it seems that if STEALING will get you what you want, then steal. For it seems that if HURTING, KILLING will get you what you want, then hurt and kill.
There is no right or wrong. Each person decides.
Morality is out the window, out the door. It does not exist anymore.
It is mine to decide that I am superior, and it is mine to decide that you are inferior.
Life is worthless, it does not even exist.
What a degeneration of human beings, human value, human intelligence and humanity itself.
Maybe we all need a time of serious rethinking….
