Sorry, I Don't Speak French

Confronting the Canadian Crisis That Won't Go Away

Nonfiction, History, Americas, Canada
Cover of the book Sorry, I Don't Speak French by Graham Fraser, McClelland & Stewart
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Graham Fraser ISBN: 9781551992181
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart Publication: February 24, 2009
Imprint: Douglas Gibson Books Language: English
Author: Graham Fraser
ISBN: 9781551992181
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Publication: February 24, 2009
Imprint: Douglas Gibson Books
Language: English

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.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

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.

More books from McClelland & Stewart

Cover of the book A New Index for Predicting Catastrophes by Graham Fraser
Cover of the book The Joanne Kilbourn Mysteries 3-Book Bundle Volume 1 by Graham Fraser
Cover of the book Where She Has Gone by Graham Fraser
Cover of the book Thirty Acres by Graham Fraser
Cover of the book Leafs '65 by Graham Fraser
Cover of the book Backward Glances by Graham Fraser
Cover of the book The Goal of My Life by Graham Fraser
Cover of the book Complicity by Graham Fraser
Cover of the book Commodore's Barge is Alongside by Graham Fraser
Cover of the book At the Cottage by Graham Fraser
Cover of the book The Journey Prize Stories 23 by Graham Fraser
Cover of the book The Acrobats by Graham Fraser
Cover of the book Hell or High Water by Graham Fraser
Cover of the book 100 Grey Cups by Graham Fraser
Cover of the book Art of Darkness by Graham Fraser
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy