Here she busts some of the myths and shares the benefits, and some parents share their own experiences. Fundamentally, you are able to communicate with a wider slice of the world, and interact with a wider mix of cultures. Improved participation rates by French Canadians, however, does not necessarily mean the public service has become more bilingual. They have impacted not only the operation of federal institutions, but also the cultural and linguistic makeup of Canadian society. It was summer, it was hot and I was wearing baggy shorts… Little did they know that I actually understood everything they were saying. According to the Commission, adequate accommodation of Quebec in Canada required more than simply officially recognizing the French language in the nation’s political institutions. Bilingual Education Pros and Cons. Therefore, Canada has been using the bilingual education model to educate their children to be fluent in both languages. That’s when you will realise that you have become the group’s interpreter. Think about it –  everyone does seem much hotter when you go abroad. The official languages of Canada are English and French, which "have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions of the Parliament and Government of Canada," according to Canada's constitution. " More specifically, the 2005 amendment committed the federal government to “enhancing the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and supporting and assisting their development,” while imposing the duty of “fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society” (Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, 2007). Secondly, the B and B Commission helped to frame language politics and government action in terms of equality and a common community. Their populations were predominately French-speaking and characterized, naturally, by French religious and legal practices. The Quiet Revolution refers to the period of social, cultural, and political upheaval that took place in Quebec in the 1960s. There were two key reasons for this initiative:1) to ensure that Canadians were able to receive services in either official language, and 2) to increase employment opportunities for French-speaking Canadians in the federal public service. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, you end up looking like you can’t communicate at all. For many anglophones, especially in Western Canada, it was an attempt to force the French language on an unwilling population. There is a big downside to Quebec separating from Canada. The two most common forms of French immersion are early immersion, when students enter at kindergarten or grade one, and late immersion, when students enter at the beginning of junior high school. At the time, Manitoba had a significant French-speaking population. The Pros And Cons Of Multiculturalism In Canada 1126 Words 5 Pages Multiculturalism has been an integral part of Canada since its adoption by the Trudeau government in 1971 and its formal implementation through The Canadian Multiculturalism Act in 1988 (Burnett and Dreidger, 2014). Joanna John does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit … own definition about bilingualism such as “ to be able to talk more than one language ” or “ use two languages in everyday communication.”. Political elites and the Canadian public were faced with questions of how to deal with the cultural and language aspirations of French-speakers in Quebec. bilingualism has been admired by many nations for varied reasons. Moreover, with the 2003 Action Plan set to expire in March 2008, the Commissioner expressed concern over the apparent lack of a federal vision for bilingual language initiatives beyond that date. The plasticity of the brain makes it easier to learn and remember so that it becomes practically set in stone. In 1974, for example, the Quebec Liberal government passed the provincial Official Languages Act, making French the province’s official language. The revised system benefited French-speaking Canadians, many of whom already spoke both official languages. In Acadia, the former French colony in the Maritimes, the British adopted a policy of forced relocation, expelling thousands of French Acadians to France or to the American colonies (in particular, present-day Louisiana). Beyond that, monolingualism seems more attractive, and monolinguals especially those speaking a language of … 28376. When you hear one language and are speaking with the other at the same time, your brain goes slightly crazy and you forget how to speak completely. The Charter also required that children of new immigrants to Quebec, attending public schools, study in French until the post-secondary level. The Commission had the power to ensure compliance with the Act and to investigate complaints, and responsibility for submitting annual reports to Parliament on its progress. The federal government also committed more than $750 million over five years in support of the action plan and its initiatives. Another issue in language politics focuses not on the basic principles of federal bilingual policy, but on its ability to actually achieve its ends. This same constitutional language rights were also extended to the new province of Manitoba when it was established in 1879. Of particular concern to the Commissioner were budget cuts undertaken by the Harper government eliminating key bilingual initiatives, including: the Court Challenges Program (which provided funding to minority groups to challenge government policies, such as those dealing with language, in court); the Innovation Fund (used to increase bilingualism in the public service); and other cuts within federal government departments which reduced the capacity of federal institutions to fully implement the 2003 Action Plan. I learned a number of things but what really stuck with me wasn 't strictly about Canada or Canadians. In reality, though, you didn’t have a choice about learning an extra language. The notion is that Quebec should seek political independence from Canada in order to fully promote French culture and language in English-dominated North America. 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