moo Posted April 4, 2012 Report Share Posted April 4, 2012 It's important if you want your kids to claw thier way up the Federal beauracracy.....extremely important. Yes, and I presume all these parents know and want their kids to have good federal government jobs? Or perhaps they all want their kid to be PM one day? The yield from learning Mandarin and Spanish is much greater. The business world demands it. Even medicine demands it now. Mandarin and Hispanic/Latino patients will flock to you if you are fluent in their language. It's just good business sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLengr Posted April 4, 2012 Report Share Posted April 4, 2012 Yes, and I presume all these parents know and want their kids to have good federal government jobs? Or perhaps they all want their kid to be PM one day? The yield from learning Mandarin and Spanish is much greater. The business world demands it. Even medicine demands it now. Mandarin and Hispanic/Latino patients will flock to you if you are fluent in their language. It's just good business sense. I agree completely. If you are gonna learn a second language, it makes far more sense to learn something that will be the most beneficial to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayward son Posted April 4, 2012 Report Share Posted April 4, 2012 I think if you are planning on working in the bilingual belt then knowing both official languages would likely be a asset on the job. If you are outside of the bilingual belt not only is learning the other official language significantly harder (as you would rarely come in contact with the language) but the benefits would be significantly diminished, and there are likely other languages that would be more worthwhile to learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeman101 Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 Don't you learn French as a second language in the rest of Canada? I can't understand how some of my canadian classmates can not put 5 words of French in a conversation... LOL well outside of Quebec its barely spoken. As in I've never heard it spoken in ON unless the person is visiting from QC. Nevermind in ON we only "sorta" learn French from gr6 to gr9. Definitely not enough to pass as conversation. In Toronto French is maybe 8th on the list of languages most often spoken. Behind English, Canto, Mando, Tamil, Italian, Spanish, Korean, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnb88 Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 I'd just like to point out that being bilingual doesn't necessarily mean speaking both of Canada's official languages. It just simply means being able to converse in 2 languages. So someone that speaks Spanish and Russian only are bilingual. Should future doctors be bilingual? I think it may be beneficial for gathering a history and perhaps making the patient feel a little bit more calm comfortable, but it isn't necessary everywhere. Take rural AB... chances are in a lot of rural AB locations, the ONLY language spoken is English. Likewise in rural Quebec it is likely only French. Like others have mentioned, it all depends on the area where you're living/working as to which language(s) would be most beneficial to know/learn. I'll also echo what deeman has said about French. Outside of grade school classes and Quebec, not many Canadians converse in it on a daily basis. Even if someone was fully bilingual coming out of school, without being able to converse with someone in that language (or any 2nd, 3rd, or 4th language one may know) it will become rusty. I used to be extremely fluent in French and I'll admit I'm extremely rusty 6 years later because I haven't had any opportunity to use it. For some of the verb tenses (especially le subjonctif) the only reason I know how to use SOME verbs in that tense is because of songs we learned in class that have stuck in my head for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chii Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 I don't speak french (though I'd like to, and plan on continuing learning) but I have heard that there is a very strong francophone culture right in Toronto. I met a girl who basically was immersed in french her whole life, and found it strange to come into university and have everyone around her speaking english, I mean she speaks english without an accent at all, but she said it was weird to not be in the francophone culture! I think it's a matter of finding/involving yourself in the community? I dunno... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Molar Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 I woud prefer to learn some Asian languages such as Mando or Canto. The only problem is their symbolic characters are so difficult to learn. I found French quite easy to learn yet quite useful here in North America. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerkstore Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 LOL well outside of Quebec its barely spoken. As in I've never heard it spoken in ON unless the person is visiting from QC. Nevermind in ON we only "sorta" learn French from gr6 to gr9. Definitely not enough to pass as conversation. In Toronto French is maybe 8th on the list of languages most often spoken. Behind English, Canto, Mando, Tamil, Italian, Spanish, Korean, etc. 6 to 9? I remember learning it in like grade 4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moo Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 This is why we need to get rid of official languages in this country. If we claim to be multicultural, it makes no sense to have official languages. The US doesn't have official languages for this very reason--and any attempt by the Republicans to institute English as the official language always gets batted down by the Dems as racist and unwelcoming to immigrants. Ironic because in the US, their immigration policy has always been one of a melting pot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Hood Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 This is why we need to get rid of official languages in this country. If we claim to be multicultural, it makes no sense to have official languages. The US doesn't have official languages for this very reason--and any attempt by the Republicans to institute English as the official language always gets batted down by the Dems as racist and unwelcoming to immigrants. Ironic because in the US, their immigration policy has always been one of a melting pot. But the US doesn't have a large linguistic minority (francos make 20% of the Canadian population), and states have more power concerning language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaronjw Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 But the US doesn't have a large linguistic minority (francos make 20% of the Canadian population), and states have more power concerning language. they don't? uhh Hispanics anyone? http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/24/nation/la-na-census-hispanic-20110325 The Hispanic population in the United States grew by 43% in the last decade, surpassing 50 million and accounting for about 1 out of 6 Americans, the Census Bureau reported Thursday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLengr Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 they don't? uhh Hispanics anyone? http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/24/nation/la-na-census-hispanic-20110325 And Hispanics are likely more spread across multiple states vs. Francophones, which are largely isolated to Quebec, north NB and Eastern Ontario. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moo Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 But the US doesn't have a large linguistic minority (francos make 20% of the Canadian population), and states have more power concerning language. You argument makes no sense. First, as others have pointed out, Hispanics are a significant linguistic minority. Second, again, they're spread throughout the country. In most big cities (all?), knowing Spanish is very important, certainly more important than knowing French in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, etc. I'm all for QC having French as the official language but don't force it on the rest of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Hood Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 they don't? uhh Hispanics anyone? http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/24/nation/la-na-census-hispanic-20110325 Hispanics are mostly immigrants, while Canadian Francophones are not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outlaw Posted April 5, 2012 Report Share Posted April 5, 2012 Hispanics are mostly immigrants, while Canadian Francophones are not. Actually many Hispanics are American citizens. The older generations do consist of many immigrants but to say Hispanics are mostly immigrants is quite an ignorant comment. http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2010/04/29/most-growth-in-arizona-hispanic-population-comes-from-births-of-new-us-citizens/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Hood Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Actually many Hispanics are American citizens. The older generations do consist of many immigrants but to say Hispanics are mostly immigrants is quite an ignorant comment. http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2010/04/29/most-growth-in-arizona-hispanic-population-comes-from-births-of-new-us-citizens/ But they are new Americans, the American public wouldn't agree to set up the language of citizens from a recent immigration background as an official language with English, while on the other hand Franco Canadians were here even before the Anglo Canadians settled here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaronjw Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 But they are new Americans, the American public wouldn't agree to set up the language of citizens from a recent immigration background as an official language with English, while on the other hand Franco Canadians were here even before the Anglo Canadians settled here. And the Paleo-Indians were the first settlers of Canada so maybe we should include the vast number of their native languages as part of our official language? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Hood Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 And the Paleo-Indians were the first settlers of Canada so maybe we should include the vast number of their native languages as part of our official language? They don't make 20% of the population (no offense). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLengr Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 But they are new Americans, the American public wouldn't agree to set up the language of citizens from a recent immigration background as an official language with English, while on the other hand Franco Canadians were here even before the Anglo Canadians settled here. The English were in Newfoundland before the French arrived in Quebec. Just wanted to point that out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithril Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 I've been learning some Punjabi since my family practice preceptorship is in the heart of a heavily Indo-Canadian area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviathan Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 I've been learning some Punjabi since my family practice preceptorship is in the heart of a heavily Indo-Canadian area. Most important word to know: "Dard!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBestMedicine Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 They don't make 20% of the population (no offense). Aboriginals (collectively) are the fastest growing population in Canada... The English were in Newfoundland before the French arrived in Quebec. Just wanted to point that out. Maybe we should learn Viking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Hood Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 Aboriginals (collectively) are the fastest growing population in Canada... Maybe we should learn Viking? But Aboriginals have so many languages... Also, Canadian French were among the founders of Canada, Quebec was one of the original 4 provinces. Also, as for the US, states have more power than provinces in Canada, and let's not forget that the alternative to removing French as an official language of Canada is seperation. Quebec still didn't agree on the constitution (a constitution decided on by English Canadians without Quebec's consent). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebouque Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 I think doctors should be bilingual only if they live in a bilingual area (for eg Montreal, many places in NB, Ottawa etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLengr Posted April 6, 2012 Report Share Posted April 6, 2012 But Aboriginals have so many languages...Also, Canadian French were among the founders of Canada, Quebec was one of the original 4 provinces. Also, as for the US, states have more power than provinces in Canada, and let's not forget that the alternative to removing French as an official language of Canada is seperation. Quebec still didn't agree on the constitution (a constitution decided on by English Canadians without Quebec's consent). I don't mind having the two official languages. I don't think it's necessary to remove French. I don't think anyone here advocated removing just French, only scrapping official languages all together. Quebec can threaten separation, but I think they may be surprised at the number of Canadians who would be happy to cut them loose. The separation card no longer holds the power it did in the 1980s/1990s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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