Does an Anglo-Canadian become more Canadian by learning French?

[LakeLocker]

I'm not trying to stir the pot. My question is simple is this a reasonable way to be more connected to the country coast to coast?

EDIT: For lack of better phrasing I guess I should say more in touch with the Canadian experience.

This has nothing to do with ethnicity, and more about circumventing the excessive influence of Americana.

[harls]

Nope, but it impresses the ladies.

[SignalHillHiker]

It certainly opens up more of Canada for them to experience. It also increases their employability, and increases the number of communities where they could live and work.

As for any of those making them "more" Canadian, no. There's not really a range in that regard. You're Canadian or you're not. That ranges from people who'd rather not be, to those who just got their citizenship this morning, to flag-draped "old stock Canadians" (shudder).

[LakeLocker]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

It certainly opens up more of Canada for then to experience. It also increases their employability, and gives increases the number of communities where they could live and work.

As for any of those making them "more" Canadian, no. There's not really a range in that regard. You're Canadian or you're not. That ranges from people who'd rather not be, to those who just got their citizenship this morning, to flag-draped "old stock Canadians" (shudder).

See my post.

[esquire]

More Canadian? No. One language is sufficient to be Canadian.

More in touch with the Canadian experience? Yes. Knowing more than one language (English, French, Cree, Ojibway, Inuktitut, Mandarin, Punjabi, Portuguese, etc.) could help you better relate to a larger segment of Canadian society.

[kwoldtimer]

No. Next question.

What is the basis for the assumption that learning French makes one any more aware of what is happening in French-speaking Canada? I'd be sceptical in the majority of cases.

[LakeLocker]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

No. Next question.

What is the basis for the assumption that learning French makes one any more aware of what is happening in French-speaking Canada? I'd be sceptical in the majority of cases.

So you think someone who doesn't speak a word of english understands anglo canada?

I can't believe this sentiment in true is the reverse direction.


Again were not talking about ethnicity but more of getting the whole package deal of coast to coast Canadiana.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by harls

Nope, but it impresses the ladies.

The only true answer.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by LakeLocker

So you think someone who doesn't speak a word of english understands anglo canada?

I can't believe this sentiment in true is the reverse direction.


Again were not talking about ethnicity but more of getting the whole package deal of coast to coast Canadiana.

It has to. Otherwise you're relying on a middleman (typically the media) to tell you what people in that other language bubble are thinking and doing.

For instance, how many people can access accounts of what's happening on the Indian Reserves in their region that aren't filtered through the CBC or some other urban English media source?

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by JHikka

The only true answer.

Umm, a true answer. Not the only one ....

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

No. Next question.

What is the basis for the assumption that learning French makes one any more aware of what is happening in French-speaking Canada? I'd be sceptical in the majority of cases.

It's extremely hard to imagine that one's understanding of a society would not be enhanced by knowing the language that it functions in.

[flar]

Not necessarily "more Canadian" but certainly a better social, political and historical understanding and perspective on Canada.

[harls]

Originally Posted by Acajack

It's extremely hard to imagine that one's understanding of a society would not be enhanced by knowing the language that it functions in.

But Acajack, Google Translate understands foreign languages perfectly. Why would I need to learn anything?

Same goes for math. I've got a calculator.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by harls

But Acajack, Google Translate understands foreign languages perfectly. Why would I need to learn anything?

Same goes for math. I've got a calculator.

Not when we decide to throw in some slang, tsé.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

It's extremely hard to imagine that one's understanding of a society would not be enhanced by knowing the language that it functions in.

It assumes one follows cultural output / media from the place concerned. In the case of French, many if not most Anglo Canadians would be focussed more on France than on Quebec, starting with their language studies.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

It assumes one follows cultural output / media from the place concerned. In the case of French, many if not most Anglo Canadians would be focussed more on France than on Quebec, starting with their language studies.

While I don't want to exaggerate the interest of Anglo-Canadians in Québécois matters (political, cultural or otherwise) this generalized preference for things Euro-French runs totally against everything I've ever seen.

If the interest in Québécois matters among Anglo-Canadians could be illustrated by a tiny space you make between your fingers, then the interest in and knowledge of things Euro-French (beyond luxury products which are language neutral anyway) could be illustrated by 1/100th of that space.

And while it's true that French language teaching sometimes has a Euro-French leaning in Anglo-Canada, if you do put in the time and effort to learn anything it's not that difficult at all to apply it to Quebec's "affairs of the polis" (if not stand-up comedy...)

[esquire]

Yeah, to second Acajack I have not really seen much Anglophone-Canadian interest demonstrated in France relative to Quebec except among those who have some kind of ties to the place, i.e. worked or went to school there, or just really interested in European politics/culture generally.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by esquire

Yeah, to second Acajack I have not really seen much Anglophone-Canadian interest demonstrated in France relative to Quebec except among those who have some kind of ties to the place, i.e. worked or went to school there, or just really interested in European politics/culture generally.

Maybe it varies or has changed over time. Growing up in K-W in the 60's/70s, it was all France all the time (and teachers all Anglo Canadian). Other than reading Rue Deschambault, I had no exposure to anything French Canadian until university.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Rue Deschambault

Hats off for that savvy local (to me) reference

Things must have changed along the way... I was a French immersion student until high school and it was virtually all Quebec-originating educational materials. In high school there was French literature which to the best of my recollection was about half and half.

I remember chatting with a few people at parties over the years who were really up on what was happening in France (I vividly remember a few years back one woman was aghast that I was clued out about the whole Liliane Bettencourt situation), but as I mentioned before they were people who went to school there or worked there. The exception in my experience.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Maybe it varies or has changed over time. Growing up in K-W in the 60's/70s, it was all France all the time (and teachers all Anglo Canadian). Other than reading Rue Deschambault, I had no exposure to anything French Canadian until university.

I was referring more to the motivation and rationale, not so much how French teaching plays out for many Anglo-Canadians. Though I doubt reading Gustave Flaubert is going to propel your average kid in Flin Flon into the arms of François Truffaut's cinema, any more than it will into Xavier Dolan's.

The number of Anglo-Canadians I've met whose learning of French wasn't at least in some way related (either willingly or forcibly ) to the presence of the French language on Canadian soil I can probably count on one hand.