Sorry, I Don't Speak French - Confronting the Canadian Crisis That Won't Go Away (Paperback)


As the threat of another Quebec referendum on independence looms, this book becomes important for every Canadian -- especially as language remains both a barrier and a bridge in our divided country
Canada's language policy is the only connection between two largely unilingual societies -- English-speaking Canada and French-speaking Quebec. The country's success in staying together depends on making it work.
How well is it working? Graham Fraser, an English-speaking Canadian who became bilingual, decided to take a clear-eyed look at the situation. The results are startling -- a blend of good news and bad. The Official Languages Act was passed with the support of every party in the House way back in 1969 -- yet Canada's language policy is still a controversial, red-hot topic; jobs, ideals, and ultimately the country are at stake. And the myth that the whole thing was always a plot to get francophones top jobs continues to live.
Graham Fraser looks at the intentions, the hopes, the fears, the record, the myths, and the unexpected reality of a country that is still grappling with the language challenge that has shaped its history. He finds a paradox: after letting Quebec lawyers run the country for three decades, Canadians keep hoping the next generation will be bilingual -- but forty years after learning that the country faced a language crisis, Canada's universities still treat French as a foreign language. He describes the impact of language on politics and government (not to mention social life in Montreal and Ottawa) in a hard-hitting book that will be discussed everywhere, including the headlines in both languages.

"From the Hardcover edition."


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Product Description

As the threat of another Quebec referendum on independence looms, this book becomes important for every Canadian -- especially as language remains both a barrier and a bridge in our divided country
Canada's language policy is the only connection between two largely unilingual societies -- English-speaking Canada and French-speaking Quebec. The country's success in staying together depends on making it work.
How well is it working? Graham Fraser, an English-speaking Canadian who became bilingual, decided to take a clear-eyed look at the situation. The results are startling -- a blend of good news and bad. The Official Languages Act was passed with the support of every party in the House way back in 1969 -- yet Canada's language policy is still a controversial, red-hot topic; jobs, ideals, and ultimately the country are at stake. And the myth that the whole thing was always a plot to get francophones top jobs continues to live.
Graham Fraser looks at the intentions, the hopes, the fears, the record, the myths, and the unexpected reality of a country that is still grappling with the language challenge that has shaped its history. He finds a paradox: after letting Quebec lawyers run the country for three decades, Canadians keep hoping the next generation will be bilingual -- but forty years after learning that the country faced a language crisis, Canada's universities still treat French as a foreign language. He describes the impact of language on politics and government (not to mention social life in Montreal and Ottawa) in a hard-hitting book that will be discussed everywhere, including the headlines in both languages.

"From the Hardcover edition."

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Product Details

General

Imprint

Douglas Gibson

Country of origin

United Kingdom

Release date

March 2007

Availability

Supplier out of stock. If you add this item to your wish list we will let you know when it becomes available.

First published

March 2007

Authors

Dimensions

216 x 140 x 23mm (L x W x T)

Format

Paperback - Trade

Pages

352

ISBN-13

978-0-7710-4767-1

Barcode

9780771047671

Categories

LSN

0-7710-4767-3



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