The French language can remain in Quebec?

[oreocookie]

The "French" language will survive in Quebec as long as there are laws to protect it. Possibly a better question to ask is how long can the English language remain in Quebec, as English speakers are the minority here. How can it survive if people aren't required to provide service in English, when there are laws restricting who go to an English school, when it's use on signs is regulated? Road signs are all in French, many bus drivers have been known to answer in French when someone asks them something in English. And now the provincial government wants to make it so that trials do not have to be offered in English (the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms allows you to be tried in your choice of either official language) unless the prosecution wants to, so much for being able to defend yourself.

That said, what is spoken in Quebec isn't really French, it's umm.. corrupt, and the Academie Francaise probably wouldn't be too happy with it.

 

[Gilldiver]

I always love these discussions, but here are just a few observations:

First, Globalization is here, get used to it. English is the language of world business and has just about fully supplemented French and German in the sciences.

Now have you ever ask a real Frenchman what language they speak in Quebec? The reply is almost always “I don’t know, but it is not French.”

As for English in Europe, you can get by in all of Germany, Switzerland, Scandinavia, and most of France in English better then you can in a lot of Quebec. I have also been able to get by in Russia, Poland, Austria, and Turkey with no problem in English. Perhaps it is because you can’t get out of High school in many of those countries without being fluent both written and spoken in English. Actually, many if not most will be trilingual with their native language, English and either Spanish, French, or Russian.

In the US we have a lot of immigrants that speak Spanish. But the “new” Spanish (not the “old Spanish” say those that have been US citizens ever since most of the Southwest US was “acquired” from Mexico) are adapting English very quickly. The 1st generation born in the US are almost 100% bi-lingual and there are signs that the 2nd generation will be mostly English speakers with the 3rd generation loosing Spanish almost totally. This is the pattern that has been seen since the start of the US with the German, Eastern Europe, French, Scandinavian, Japanese, Chinese and all the other immigrant communities. My Grand Father was 100% Swedish and right off the boat and only got to about 50% English in his 70+ years in the US. My father was bilingual and I have no Swedish.

The US Spanish fears are all nativist and right out of the movie “Gangs of New York,”

But if you want to know what the next big international language will be, I’ll put my 20 Euros on Mandarin Chinese.

 

[wardric]

That's because "real" frenchmen dont speak french anymore

In big european cities you are right but Having travelled in Germany, Austria, France, Italy and most of the western Europe countries, I can tell you that you wont get by in those countries outside of big cities if you only speak english.

But your last statement is the most accurate one

But if you want to know what the next big international language will be, I’ll put my 20 Euros on Mandarin Chinese.

 

[Gilldiver]

That's because "real" frenchmen dont speak french anymore

In big european cities you are right but Having travelled in Germany, Austria, France, Italy and most of the western Europe countries, I can tell you that you wont get by in those countries outside of big cities if you only speak english.

But your last statement is the most accurate one

When dealing with most under 35 or 40 and almost all under 30, I will stand by my statements about getting along in English and I have been in some pretty off the path places in Germany, Poland, and Turkey. This is especialy true in any larger stores or service industry places. Now if you want to talk to anyone over 50, you may have a problem.

The funny one I remember most was when I stoped to ask for directions near Hanover and got a lot of Greman on how to get where I was going. The guy I was talking to figured out that I was not getting it, so called his Son/Grandson who was about 8 to be the translator. The kid was better in english then my 7 year old daughter was.

 

[Gilldiver]

One last thing, why is it that I can exchange just about any currancy in Europe (Spain to Moscow) and in Canada? But just try it in the US at any place but an international air terminal and they either look at you strange or hit you with fees that are way out of place.

For Gods sake, I can walk into a Tesco in Mielec Poland and change some USD $20's or Euros no problem at all, and Mielec is way off most people's path.

 

[wardric]

When dealing with most under 35 or 40 and almost all under 30, I will stand by my statements about getting along in English and I have been in some pretty off the path places in Germany, Poland, and Turkey. This is especialy true in any larger stores or service industry places. Now if you want to talk to anyone over 50, you may have a problem.

The funny one I remember most was when I stoped to ask for directions near Hanover and got a lot of Greman on how to get where I was going. The guy I was talking to figured out that I was not getting it, so called his Son/Grandson who was about 8 to be the translator. The kid was better in english then my 7 year old daughter was.

well it seems i've had different experiences during my travels. Good thing is that I'm a fast learner so after a while, I could understand and speak italian, german and other enough to get by. I forgot most of it now except spanish since I focus on diving trips in Cuba and Mexico these days

 

[KOMPRESSOR]

That's because "real" frenchmen dont speak french anymore

In big european cities you are right but Having travelled in Germany, Austria, France, Italy and most of the western Europe countries, I can tell you that you wont get by in those countries outside of big cities if you only speak english.

But your last statement is the most accurate one

Except from Germany, France and Italy I think you're dead wrong. In these countries MOST people's language knowledge stink. It can be from a number of reasons, but I personally believe it has something to do with national language ego + that all movies in tv and cinemas (= movie theater for you language "dummies"!) are DUBBED in in their own language. You don't learn much English by listening to Sylvester Stallone mumbling in German. But then you don't learn much from his English either... :11:

Welcome to any Scandinavian country though. You'll find that barely opening your mouth will make most people around you switch to English without even noticing it!

My fiancé's parents are building a summer house in the south of France (Not to far from the Mediterranian Ocean, oh yeah!...) so I'll need to brush up on my French to survive the summers down there since we get a key... How's: Je voudrais deux bierre s'ilvousplait? Will I make it?!!

 

[wardric]

Except from Germany, France and Italy I think you're dead wrong. In these countries MOST people's language knowledge stink. It can be from a number of reasons, but I personally believe it has something to do with national language ego + that all movies in tv and cinemas (= movie theater for you language "dummies"!) are DUBBED in in their own language. You don't learn much English by listening to Sylvester Stallone mumbling in German. But then you don't learn much from his English either... :11:

Welcome to any Scandinavian country though. You'll find that barely opening your mouth will make most people around you switch to English without even noticing it!

My fiancé's parents are building a summer house in the south of France (Not to far from the Mediterranian Ocean, oh yeah!...) so I'll need to brush up on my French to survive the summers down there since we get a key... How's: Je voudrais deux bierre s'ilvousplait? Will I make it?!!

You know the principal. In spanish: Me puede dar dos cervezas por favor

btw, I mentionned France, Germany and Italy as the worst example of language knowledge but you are right that scandinavian as well as Belgium, the Netherlands are different and people there are fluent in english.

I remember seeing Rambo drei in german while in Germany. Priceless.

oh, and cinema for me IS cinema btw

 

[KOMPRESSOR]

You know the principal. In spanish: Me puede dar dos cervezas por favor

btw, I mentionned France, Germany and Italy as the worst example of language knowledge but you are right that scandinavian as well as Belgium, the Netherlands are different and people there are fluent in english.

I remember seeing Rambo drei in german while in Germany. Priceless.

oh, and cinema for me IS cinema btw

I've visited Canada. I knew that!
-Anyways, as you've probably seen my comment on one of your gallery photos, "I'LL BE BACK!"

Try Bud Spencer & Terence Hill in a German CINEMA.

Imagine seeing the opening scene, a 5 minutes 30 guys fist fight. In the end Mr Spencer gets one in the back of his head and shouts "SHEIZE"!
Then imagine four young Norwegians in the front row rolling out on the floor laughing and screaming out loud, until a sharp German cinema guard shows us the door...

-It happened!

 

[wardric]

:lol:

Those good ol' Bud Spencer movies