Bilingualism and Language Policy in Canada

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Bilingualism and Language Policy in Canada

• Natascha Merwar GS/LN
• Verena Nogaj HS/LN
• Katja Faber HS /LN

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Contents

• Introduction
• Royal Commission on Bilingualism Biculturalism
• Implementing a more comprehensive Language Policy
• Official Languages Act of 1969
• Official Languages Act of 1988
• Conclusion

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Introduction

• Definition of Bilingualism
• The ability to speak two languages with
  nativelike competence. In every individual case
  one language will be dominant.
• Bilingualism as one form of multilingualism

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Introduction

• Bilingualism in Canada (institutional
  bilingualism) The ability to communicate in both
  of Canadas official languages, English and
  French.
• -gt is formalised in Language Policy
• -gt refers to the capacity of state institutions
  to operate in two languages

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Introduction

• Situation in Canada
• -gt Canada is a predominantly English speaking
  country
• -gt Asymmetry of language abilities existing
  between English/anglophone and
  French/francophone
• 1. Quantitative Asymmetry
• 2. Qualitative Asymmetry

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Introduction

• French and English territories are separate and
  their territorilisation is increasing
• Quebec as a French island in an ocean of
  English

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Introduction
8
Introduction

• Why Institutional Bilingualism in Canada?
• No language is exclusive Canadian (exept certain
  Amerindian languages), so Canadians havent got a
  native language
• Bilingualism as a mean to show the importance of
  both languages
• Bilingualism as an advantage for Canadas citizens

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Introduction

• Advantages
• Communicative advantages
• Cutural advantages
• Cognitive advantages

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Royal Commission on Bilingualism Biculturalism

• Quiet Revolution in Quebec (1960-1966)
• Period of...
• ...rapid social change
• ...modernisation of Quebec
• ...redefinition of the role of French
  Canadians within Confederation

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Royal Commission on Bilingualism Biculturalism

• Also known as the Laurendeau- Dunton Commission
• Consisted of 10 commissioners
• - five French speaking members
• - five English speaking members

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Royal Commission on Bilingualism Biculturalism

• Was asked to
• - require into and report upon the
  existing state of bilingualism and
  biculturalism in Canada
• - recommend which steps to take to develop
  the Canadian Confederation on the basis of
  an equal partnership

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Royal Commission on Bilingualism Biculturalism

• recommendations on
• a) the situation and practice of bilingualism
  
• b) the promoting of bilingualism by public and
  private organisations
• c) the opportunities to learn French and
  English and what could be done to enable
  Canadians to become bilingual
• 1965 publication of Premium Report
• 1967-1970 publication of final report (consists
  of six volumes)

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Royal Commission on Bilingualism Biculturalism

• 9 per cent of federal positions designated as
  bilingual in 1966
• 44 per cent were in the Ottawa-Hull capital area,
  49 per cent were in Quebec outside the capital
  region
• bilingual positions rose to 21 per cent in 1974
  and to 29 per cent in 1995
• (Edwards, John(1998)Language in
  Canada.Cambridge University PressCambridge.)

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Royal Commission on Bilingualism Biculturalism
Bilingualism units people dualism divides them.
Bilingualism means you can speak to the other
duality means you live in one language and the
rest of Canada will live in another
language! Pierre Elliott Trudeau, speaking to
the Senat in Ottawa on March 20, 1988, as quoted
in The Essential Trudeau, Ron Graham, ed.
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Implementing a more comprehensive Language Policy

• Implementation of language related reforms
• a) More extensive formal recognition of English
  and French as official languages of Canada
• b) Restructuring of the public service and
  federal institutions
• c) Reforms
• 1. to aid official language minority schools
• 2. to encourage study of the other official
  language
• d) Promotion of French as the main language in
  Quebecs private sector
• e) Elaboration of a cultural policy concerning
  growing cultural diversity in Canada

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Official Languages Act of 1969

• three main objectives
• a) The equality of English French in
  parliament within the government of Canada, the
  federal administrations and institutions
• b) The preservation and development of official
  language communities in Canada
• c) The equality of English and French in
  Canadian society

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Official Languages Act of 1969

• New Brunswick enacts its first official languages
  act making it Canadas first and only official
  bilingual province

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Official Languages Act of 1969

• three major components of policy in this period
• - external service to the public in both
  official languages
• - balanced participation of anglophones and
  francophones in the public service
• - freedom of choice in the language of work

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Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982)

• Bill of right
• Forms first part of Constitution Act (1982)
• intended to protect political and civil rights of
  people in Canada from the policies and actions of
  all levels of the government
• Consists of 34 sections
• Sections 16-22 Official Languages of Canada
• Section 23 Minority Language Education Rights

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Official Languages Act of 1988

• Is different from its predecessor
• - longer and more comprehensive
• - text has a noticably different quality
• - begins with a twopage preamble
• 1988 Act was primarily concerned with
  coordinating and managing official bilingualism
• Most obvious general thrust is to develop a more
  powerful language legislation

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Official Languages Act of 1988

• Main distinction between 1969 and 1988
• to guide government policy and pursue efforts to
  promote the official languages in Canadian
  society as a whole

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Conclusion

• Support for bilingualism is mixed
• Strongest support can be found in the so called
  Bilingual Belt
• both English and French are regularly spoken
• extends from New Brunswick in the east through
  Quebec, Eastern and Northern Ontario and Southern
  Manitoba

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Conclusion

• outside this belt in Quebec the majority of
  population is francophone
• the rest of Canada, outside the belt, is
  overwhelmingly anglophone
• these days there are supporters and opponents of
  bilingualism in every part of Canada

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Conclusion
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References

• Edwards, John(1998)Language in Canada.Cambridge
  University PressCambridge.
• Wardhaugh, Ronald(1987)Languages in
  Competition.Basil BlackwellOxford.
• http//en.wikipedia.org
• http//www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com
• http//www.pch.gc.ca
• http//www.edu.gov.mb.ca/ks4/cur/socstud/foundatio
  n_gr6/blms/6-3-2g.pdf
• http//www.marianopolis.edu/quebechistory/readings
  /lesage.htm
• http//www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/progs/lo-ol/bili
  ng/hist_e.cfm
• http//www.lonelyplanet.com/mapshells/north_americ
  a/canada/canada.htm

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• Thank you for your attention!