Sorry, I Don't Speak French: Confronting the Canadian Crisis That Won't Go Away - Softcover

Fraser, Graham

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0771047673 ISBN 13: 9780771047671

Publisher: Douglas Gibson, 2007

Synopsis

As the threat of another Quebec referendum on independence looms, this book becomes important for every Canadian -- especially as language remains both a barrier and a bridge in our divided country
Canada's language policy is the only connection between two largely unilingual societies -- English-speaking Canada and French-speaking Quebec. The country's success in staying together depends on making it work.

How well is it working? Graham Fraser, an English-speaking Canadian who became bilingual, decided to take a clear-eyed look at the situation. The results are startling -- a blend of good news and bad. The Official Languages Act was passed with the support of every party in the House way back in 1969 -- yet Canada's language policy is still a controversial, red-hot topic; jobs, ideals, and ultimately the country are at stake. And the myth that the whole thing was always a plot to get francophones top jobs continues to live.

Graham Fraser looks at the intentions, the hopes, the fears, the record, the myths, and the unexpected reality of a country that is still grappling with the language challenge that has shaped its history. He finds a paradox: after letting Quebec lawyers run the country for three decades, Canadians keep hoping the next generation will be bilingual -- but forty years after learning that the country faced a language crisis, Canada's universities still treat French as a foreign language. He describes the impact of language on politics and government (not to mention social life in Montreal and Ottawa) in a hard-hitting book that will be discussed everywhere, including the headlines in both languages.

About this title

About the Author

Graham Fraser is a widely respected journalist who has written in both English and French. Now based in Ottawa as a Toronto Star national affairs writer, he has covered politics in Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, and Washington. His books include P.Q.: René Lévesque and the Parti Québécois in Power (nominated for the Governor General's Award) and Playing for Keeps.

Edition details

• Publisher: Douglas Gibson
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0771047673
• ISBN 13: 9780771047671
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 352