Comments on: Should Canadian universities promote bilingualism?

By: No to bilingualism!

No to bilingualism! — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 02:42:50 +0000

No, universitities should stay away from promoting the French agenda. Official bilingualism was and still is a bad policy. It did not bring two solitudes together; on the contrary, it pulled us even further apart.

By: Connie

Connie — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:36:13 +0000

I think billingualism is wonderful, however, I think that at the university level it is too late for promoting billingualism. Our children take french from grade 5 until grade 10 and they still cannot speak the language after 5 years of study….what is wrong with the curriculum?? I see student cringe at having to take grade 11 french so they can go to university. Our kids should be billingual before university.

By: Stephan

Stephan — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:49:50 +0000

Yes. Universities should be more proactive in promoting official bilingualism. If Canada plans on remaining competitive in the global market it should take advantage of ensuring that we stay ahead of the rest. In Europe many are fully multilingual due to proximity to each other. In the US many are bilingual (English/Spanish) due to their proximity in Latin America which gives them a huge advantage in the private sector south of the border. So where do Canadians stand? Are we simply a mere shadow of the U.S. or are we a potent power in the global arena. As Canadians we should appreciate our diversity and continue to cultivate our unique relationship with the French language. Being bilingual will only be an asset to any Canadian. This will give us more options in ventures and investment and help us dissolve our dependency on the already saturated anglophone market. Moreover, official bilingualism would only give us a linguistic comparative advantage. I know because I am a trilingual (english, french , and spanish) quebecois that has .had the option to work in Spain , Mexico France and the United States. If I were only a monolingual I would not have had this option. Globalization is the future. Will Canada be there ?

By: Max

Max — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:17:40 +0000

Although the government has no right whatsoever in telling post-secondary institutions how to form their students, perhaps they are right; If many governmental jobs require bilingualism, and if it can be useful in the private sector as well, why not?

I am a Francophone who studied at Bishop’s University, and I have had a lot of advantages over some of my fellow who could not speak french. Overmore, it is my belief that for Quebecers it is good to learn English, as it breaks the barriers between the two linguistic communities.

By: Jo VanEvery

Jo VanEvery — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:54:41 +0000

Maybe not “promote official bilingualism” but do more to ensure that grads have the skills necessary to work in a bilingual country.

when I went to U of O in the 80s everyone had to pass a proficiency test in their 2nd official language to graduate. You took the test in first year and had compulsory FLS or ESL classes until you could pass it. That requirement seems to have gone, too.

Second language requirements (perhaps not “official” languages) also seem to be just good education. Are grads offered other language options like Chinese, Japanese, and other languages useful in a globalized economy?