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Canadian's, is speaking French really this important? (Airlines/Airports)

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cobra_commander
Posts: 16909 - Karma: 4,686
I honestly thought stupid law enforcement operations were limited to south of the 49th parallel. I guess I was wrong.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2012/08/canadas-airports?fsrc=scn/fb/wl/bl/bewarethelaguageplice

Aug 19 2012 5:25PM
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jca
Posts: 4171 - Karma: 6,311
im canadian, i think it's retarded. separate please.
Aug 19 2012 5:28PM
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Mr.Sloth
Posts: 5091 - Karma: 13,469
French is a pussy language, the world should speak American.
Aug 19 2012 5:31PM
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[hamnuts]
Posts: 2356 - Karma: 439
I am basically completely bilingual because of how Canada teaches French in schools and its awesome. Its really useful when travelling, especially in Europe. I was in Italy 2 weeks ago and because of my French skillls was able to understand a vast majority of what I heard and read. Its definitely useful to know
Aug 19 2012 5:49PM
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Backyard.Skier
Posts: 5397 - Karma: 1,497
doesn't bother me but i can kind of speak it so it's not that bad cause it doesn't sound like a bunch of jibberish.
Aug 19 2012 6:13PM
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NotGhood
Posts: 2809 - Karma: 1,255
its kind of stupid...i can speak enough french to get by so doesnt really affect me, nor have i ever met a frenchy who can't speak passable english...
Aug 19 2012 6:17PM
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-emile-
Posts: 6612 - Karma: 8,592
Im french canadian and I thinks it's retarded. I couldn't give two fucks about wether a steward spoke to me in english
Aug 19 2012 6:18PM
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thewhiteprophet
Posts: 692 - Karma: 33
so what is the point of article?

you didn't know that they speak english and french in the airports?
Aug 19 2012 6:21PM
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7-3instacall
Posts: 999 - Karma: 1,005
meh, if you're a frenchie going from QC to lets say whistler, you better know english, i think its kinda dumb, plus i hate hearing everything being told twice when were taking off and stuff
Aug 19 2012 6:32PM
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WorthDaMoney
Posts: 1140 - Karma: 741
the point is that they are hiring language police that go undercover on flights and through airports to check that everyone working is obeying the bilingual laws
Aug 19 2012 6:35PM
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cobra_commander
Posts: 16909 - Karma: 4,686
When I want to go to Canada, I drive across the most western boarder crossing's with the continuos U.S. Why would I go to a Canadian Airport.

I dunno, to me this just seems like this is stupid on two levels:
1. Does the Canadian government not have better things to spend your money on?
and more importantly:
2. Why is it the government's job to enforce that private business have bilingual staff?

Should it not be each business's own choice whether they want to have bilingual staff or not, and if so which languages would be more important. In Vancouver for example, it is probably far more practical to have your staff speak English and Korean, than English and French.

I have been to other countries with multiple official languages. As far as I know, none of them forced businesses to use any of them. The only effect of them being 'official languages,' is that you could request to have a court hearing in any of them.
Aug 19 2012 6:36PM
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thewhiteprophet
Posts: 692 - Karma: 33
I think the government does it because they are sopposed to be a bilingual country but nobody wants to learn french.
Aug 19 2012 6:46PM
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MNS
Posts: 5386 - Karma: 3,241
fuck the frogs
Aug 19 2012 6:58PM
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Alexander_Keith
Posts: 3204 - Karma: 25
I'm not certain but I think maintaining obligatory bilingualism was part of the conditions under which AC was privatized. It was a sticking point because Canada is anal about language laws and Air Canada, as the airline which directly bears the country's name is a symbol of the country abroad.

Not that it makes much sense mind you.
Aug 19 2012 7:21PM
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Dosh
Posts: 1818 - Karma: 14
l'office de la langue francaise (OLF)
Aug 20 2012 7:38AM
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cobra_commander
Posts: 16909 - Karma: 4,686
Have you all ever thought about just blowing up Quebec? You can have one of our nukes.
Aug 20 2012 11:47AM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
In a bilingual country, I don't see no problem with this per se, but having officers monitoring this by themselves instead of just addressing and responding to complaints does seem a bit far out.

In Finland, as we are bilingual on the Finnish-Swedish axis, I believe by law we only need to have access to bilingual services in the public sector.
Aug 20 2012 12:53PM
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mmallender.
Posts: 5805 - Karma: 936
id prefer some sort of chemically engineered biological weapon. theres some pretty cool stuff up there, it'd be a shame for it to all be vaporized
Aug 20 2012 1:41PM
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db21
Posts: 597 - Karma: 61
seriously? that suprises me. im not sure where youre from but here in alberta the way they teach french is utterly useless. going into grade 12 this year, started french in grade 4 and i can't speak very well at all. and i put effort in its not like i just sit around. 1.5 hours of worksheets and repetition, 3 times a week is a very inefficient way to learn a language
Aug 20 2012 1:51PM
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cobra_commander
Posts: 16909 - Karma: 4,686
FWIW, this may be a very American view of things, but I learned Spanish so I could learn to order the good food at the good Mexican restaurants, but the good cocaine, and get my lawn mowed in a timely and affordable fashion, not because the guberment made me. What are the social advantages of learning French?
Aug 20 2012 1:56PM
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Black.Bird
Posts: 2566 - Karma: 684
French is the language of love sir
Aug 20 2012 1:58PM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
I learned English to prepare to this day - fuck you.
Aug 20 2012 2:00PM
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thewhiteprophet
Posts: 692 - Karma: 33
you are clueless.

it's a well used language. learning any popular language will get you jobs and come in handy all the time.
Aug 20 2012 2:53PM
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mmallender.
Posts: 5805 - Karma: 936
i have to agree. although i am from bc and there are more asian languages spoken in vancouver than there is french, so..... kind of useless to learn it all the way out here on the west coast anyways
Aug 20 2012 3:26PM
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[hamnuts]
Posts: 2356 - Karma: 439
I was fortunate enough to get into an AP French program during highschool which really helped a lot. Its a lot of work though, and the schools don't teach for bilingualism. If you really wantto get good get a translated version of a book you've already read, watch tv and movies in French only and buy grammar books and just memorize. It isn't easy but if you expose yourself more to its possible. I started French in 6th grade and was fluent enough to do well on an AP exam by the 11th grade
Aug 20 2012 3:28PM
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.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,484
No it just sounds like you have peanut butter in your mouth

Although I do love peanut butter...
Aug 20 2012 3:43PM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
Just like with many European countries that subtitle shows/movies rather than dubbing them, it's a silent and a massive help.
Aug 20 2012 3:48PM
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Blindsurfer
Posts: 2252 - Karma: 2,790
we're a bilingual country, fuck off
Aug 20 2012 4:19PM
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Lé.Skiing
Posts: 10035 - Karma: 8,128
Not goingto lie a bit of a piss off to know that $90,000 of tax payers money is going to investigate whether our airports are bilingual.  I don't see how that helps out our country.  I think there are many other problems we could be working on rather than that.  Maybe I'm an asshole for saying that but whatever I understand a bit of french here and there but to be honest I could really care less most people that speak french in canada can also speak english unless your in quebec.  so I could see them maybe enforcing it in one province.
Aug 20 2012 4:29PM
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Black.Bird
Posts: 2566 - Karma: 684
Maybe you have peanut butter in your ears?
Aug 20 2012 4:44PM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089

.
Aug 20 2012 4:46PM
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howlongcanausern
Posts: 4982 - Karma: 1,737
quebec would do a lot better if it seceded from canada.
Aug 20 2012 4:48PM
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.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,484
Chill, it's a joke from a movie. Well at least the first part is.
Aug 20 2012 6:49PM
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Cufe.
Posts: 1950 - Karma: 262
It would be better if they just got all the people who want to leave and shipped them off to some island in the sea. that way they get to have the country they want and we dont have to deal with them. win win
Aug 20 2012 6:58PM
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Bar_Down
Posts: 5896 - Karma: 395
I agree that AC employees should be bilingual, they are our official languages after all. I find it stupid that we have to get people to go undercover and find who can and can't speak french. Such a waste of time/money. If anything they should just check that shit during the interview process no?
Aug 20 2012 7:06PM
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manutdsaol
Posts: 906 - Karma: 56
What the fuck I didn't understand one word of that.
Aug 20 2012 7:22PM
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fujarome
Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561
I think it would just be fun to have a new country around.

While I haven't visited canada extensively, from what I've seen, it really is unbelievable just how different Quebec (specifically Quebec City) is from any other part of the country. Driving around there honestly feels like some parts of France.


Then the rest is more american-ish (or typical north american, if that pleases you)
Aug 20 2012 7:23PM
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Knitting
Posts: 50 - Karma: 11
* "How English sounds to English speaking people having a stroke.
Aug 20 2012 7:33PM
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db21
Posts: 597 - Karma: 61
okay they have that at my school as well. that makes more sense
Aug 20 2012 7:33PM
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powderdrunkie
Posts: 2034 - Karma: 976
hahaha wow that was fuckin hilarious!
Aug 20 2012 8:20PM
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katie.
Posts: 2833 - Karma: 874
Im Canadian and I love speaking French. I lived in Vienna for a month this summer and my two closest friends while i was there were from Paris and we only spoke French...needless to say I have the Canadian school system to thank (and my hard working AP teacher). Growing up with it as part of a daily routine makes it easy to learn, so I'm super grateful for that. I felt bad for the Americans in my class, though. In Vienna, we were going around the circle on the first day of German classes sharing the languages we spoke (most Europeans had English, their native language and usually one more) and I was proud to speak French. The Americans just said "English", which seemed pretty primitive. And fuck yeah, I'm not even done high school yet, and I got a 5 on the AP exam. I guess to sum it up, French is awesome and I'm glad Canada promotes bilingualism. Plus I'm dating a guy from Quebec.
Aug 20 2012 11:13PM
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cobra_commander
Posts: 16909 - Karma: 4,686
Meh, my school strongly encouraged students to take three or four years of a foreign language, the school offered a choice between: French, Spanish, and Japanesse. I think French is the least useful of the three, since there are few people worth talking to who speak French, and do not also speak Spanish, German, and/or English. There are some who only speak French, and the local tribal language(s), but they also often speak 5.56, 7.62, 9x19 and .45 fluently; or atleast willing to learn quickly!

Aug 20 2012 11:38PM
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edai
Posts: 4987 - Karma: 4,653
Jamie is from Maine...derp
Aug 20 2012 11:43PM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
Nono, it's Jamiiie.
Aug 20 2012 11:47PM
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pDails
Posts: 1238 - Karma: 75
Language police...ha hahaha http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WULsZJxPfws
Aug 20 2012 11:53PM
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Dr.Gonzo
Posts: 2552 - Karma: 87
didn't go through the thread but i honestly could care less, this is the biggest waste of tax dollars i've ever seen. But, ask a Quebecer and i'm sure they'd be all for it.
Aug 20 2012 11:55PM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
...aaaaaaaaand this is why I fucking hate you.
Aug 20 2012 11:57PM
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geteducated
Posts: 6410 - Karma: 86
explain, or are you just talking out of your derriere?
Aug 20 2012 11:58PM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
He's talking out of his derriere.
Aug 20 2012 11:59PM
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jason...
Posts: 9006 - Karma: 780
canada would do a lot better if quebec left.
Aug 21 2012 12:36AM
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cobra_commander
Posts: 16909 - Karma: 4,686
Explain?
Aug 21 2012 1:37AM
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