Quebec's special status will not be affected one bit. In fact it will probably be strengthened.
The francophone community will simply claim that their culture and language are under even greater attack from not one, but now two sides and more special priviledges must be extended.
In BC Cantonese has to be the second language but you're right about the mainland Chinese and don't forget the Taiwanese. Both of the latter groups speak Mandarin. Still, many if not most second generation and on Chinese lose their "mother" language, so I wonder how long any language can hang in as second. Punjabi, Hindi, or something will continue to grow and then probably die out, too. It's the way of things, I guess.
I believe that we need an international language, but a lingua franca for the World should be for everyone and not just for an educational or political elite. This is the position for English at the moment. So which language should it be?
The British learn French, the Australians study Japanese and the Americans prefer Spanish.
Yet this leaves Mandarin Chinese out of the equation.
Why not teach a common international language, in all schools and in all nations, worldwide ? As a native English speaker, my vote is for Esperanto
Your readers may be interested in http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_YHALnLV9XU Professor Piron was a translator with the United Nations in Geneva.
A glimpse of Esperanto can be seen at http://www.lernu.net
Not too sure what is implied by the "special status" reference, but the de facto difference of Quebec, as the one province where French is the language of the majority, is not going to change in the foreseeable future, as far as I know. And that's the real determinant here, isn't it?
Now, if Cantonese became the majority language in BC or Ontario, that would make for another round of fascinating discussions at Christmas about the state of the federation I'm sure, but right now, I suppose all it means is that some of the anglo anger toward the costs of bilingualism - and to be fair, some of the interest in the advantages - will be felt in Cantonese instead. What else am I missing?
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Cantonese? You sure? I know that Hong Kong and Southern Chinese were the first immigrants but I wonder if Mandarin is really that far behind?
I will guess that either Cantonese or Mandarin will be number two in Ontario in about five or ten years.
I will add that Chinese immigrants are not coming from Hong Kong anymore. Most are coming from mainland China now.
I should have added that I think that the combined Chinese languages will come in second place in Ontario within five years.
Quebec's special status will not be affected one bit. In fact it will probably be strengthened.
The francophone community will simply claim that their culture and language are under even greater attack from not one, but now two sides and more special priviledges must be extended.
In BC Cantonese has to be the second language but you're right about the mainland Chinese and don't forget the Taiwanese. Both of the latter groups speak Mandarin. Still, many if not most second generation and on Chinese lose their "mother" language, so I wonder how long any language can hang in as second. Punjabi, Hindi, or something will continue to grow and then probably die out, too. It's the way of things, I guess.
I believe that we need an international language, but a lingua franca for the World should be for everyone and not just for an educational or political elite. This is the position for English at the moment. So which language should it be?
The British learn French, the Australians study Japanese and the Americans prefer Spanish.
Yet this leaves Mandarin Chinese out of the equation.
Why not teach a common international language, in all schools and in all nations, worldwide ? As a native English speaker, my vote is for Esperanto
Your readers may be interested in http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_YHALnLV9XU Professor Piron was a translator with the United Nations in Geneva.
A glimpse of Esperanto can be seen at http://www.lernu.net
Not too sure what is implied by the "special status" reference, but the de facto difference of Quebec, as the one province where French is the language of the majority, is not going to change in the foreseeable future, as far as I know. And that's the real determinant here, isn't it?
Now, if Cantonese became the majority language in BC or Ontario, that would make for another round of fascinating discussions at Christmas about the state of the federation I'm sure, but right now, I suppose all it means is that some of the anglo anger toward the costs of bilingualism - and to be fair, some of the interest in the advantages - will be felt in Cantonese instead. What else am I missing?
More than 25% of the population is going to speak Chinese within 15 years? You may want to reconsider your premise, and then the entire post.
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