However, the situation in Quebec is not the same as in the rest of Canada. In fact, immigrants living in Quebec whose mother tongue is neither English nor French are often trilingual.
In addition, among people whose mother tongue is English or a language other than English or French, immigrants in all age groups have lower rates of bilingualism than the Canadian-born, except among people age 45 to 54 whose mother tongue is English Chart 5.
Each year, Canada accepts approximately , new immigrants close to , of whom settle outside Quebec. However, since Quebec has accepted fewer immigrants than its share of the total population in Canada, Note 19 the increase in bilingualism among Quebec immigrants since has not offset the increase in non-bilingual immigrants outside Quebec during this period.
The rate of bilingualism as determined using census data is useful indicator for tracking the evolution of English—French bilingualism in Canada. Although the number of bilingual people in Canada has never stopped increasing over the last 50 years, the rate of bilingualism has dropped slightly in the 10 years preceding the last census. These two apparently contradictory trends are largely the result of reduced exposure to French among Anglophone students outside Quebec, difficulties to retain some knowledge of French, and an increase in the number of immigrants outside Quebec who cannot converse in both official languages.
Bilingualism has never stopped increasing in Quebec so that, when it comes to bilingualism, there are significant differences between Quebec, the only province with a Francophone majority, and the other provinces and the territories. Immigrants in Quebec are more likely to be bilingual, and thus contribute to the increase in bilingualism in the province. Francophones and Anglophones in Quebec are also more likely to remain bilingual over the life cycle, a trend that shows the importance of second-language exposure as a factor behind the retention of bilingualism.
Please contact us and let us know how we can help you. The evolution of English—French bilingualism in Canada from to View the most recent version. Archived Content Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. This page has been archived on the Web. In , In Canada, the proportion of bilingual people went from Quebec was the only province in which the rate of bilingualism rose steadily between and —from In , the rate was In the rest of Canada, the rate of bilingualism went from In , the rate was 6.
End of text box. Note 1. Related material for this article. Additional information Data sources, methods and definitions A few characteristics of bilingual people in Canada Table A. Bibliographic references References How to cite this article. Report a problem on this page. Is something not working? Is there information outdated? Can't find what you're looking for? Privacy notice. The development of the bilingual and bicultural nature of the Canadian federation soon experienced setbacks, partly as a result of the uneven application of principles and partly from a lack of linguistic tolerance.
Although the British North America Act and the Manitoba Act accorded the French language official status in Quebec and Manitoba , no such recognition was granted to the substantial French-speaking populations of Ontario and New Brunswick.
Furthermore, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a series of legislative enactments across Canada seriously restricted French-language education and virtually eliminated the use of French in provincial legislatures and courts outside Quebec.
See French in the West. Although the effects of these and other measures understandably linger in the minds of many Canadians, Canada has, since the Second World War WWII , found a new concern for the official status of English and French and the destiny of minority language communities throughout the country. At the same time, demographic patterns, and particularly the tendency of francophones outside Quebec to become assimilated to the English-speaking community, have increased the polarization between the official language groups see also English-speaking Quebecers.
This in turn has brought attention to the relationship of linguistic justice and national unity. Increasingly the enhancement of the French language and culture in Canada, and a reaffirmation of the rights of the English language and culture in Quebec, are seen as fundamental to maintaining a reasonable degree of national integrity.
The problems and demands of bilingualism within the national framework were clearly set forth by the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism Central to the Commission's recommendations was the premise that the English and French minorities throughout Canada, when of reasonable size, should be ensured public services in their own language and afforded as much opportunity as possible to use their mother tongue.
The Commission also urged that French become a normal language of work, together with English, in the federal administration and that government documents and correspondence be generally available in both languages.
Moreover, the Commission stressed that there was room within an officially bilingual state for other forms of linguistic and cultural pluralism, so that bilingualism and multiculturalism might complement each other. The Commission's work culminated in the adoption of the federal Official Languages Act , designed to be the cornerstone of institutional bilingualism in Canada.
The Act, which declares the "equality of status" of English and French in Parliament and the Canadian public service, applies to all federal departments, judicial and quasi-judicial bodies, and administrative agencies and crown corporations established by federal statute.
In addition to prescribing federal reforms and establishing the office of Commissioner of Official Languages to see that they are carried out, the Act has prompted initiatives beyond the federal administration. With encouragement and financial assistance from Ottawa, provincial governments and parts of the para-public and private sectors have begun to re-examine their linguistic policies, at least in the services they offer, and have made some effort to pursue a policy of institutional bilingualism.
A new act was adopted in see Official Languages Act The success of any Canadian policy on bilingualism is closely tied to the co-operation of the provinces. The census reports on French and English separately, but groups all other languages together. Although most may agree that it is always desirable to speak an Indigenous language, it is in addition to French and English, not as a replacement.
Fast forward 50 years from the Official Languages Act, and there is a different crisis afoot in Canada. Today we are reckoning with decades of colonial government practices towards Indigenous people and languages.
Policies such as residential schools and the 60s scoop were the direct cause of Indigenous language loss. The federal government response to these recommendations led to the Indigenous Languages Act of Read more: Canada's new governor general, Mary Simon, is poised to engage in her most challenging diplomatic mission yet.
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