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Only in Canada

The Official Languages Commissioner (read: yet another way for the Federal government to waste taxpayer money) has encountered a curious phenomenon: Francophone people are choosing to speak to each other in English:

Canada is having trouble getting French treated as an equal language with English in the civil service, the top official for enforcing the country’s bilingualism laws admitted.

And one of the reasons, said Commissioner of Official Languages Dyane Adam, is that French-speaking bureaucrats often talk to each other … in English.

Anywhere in the world, this would simply be people choosing to converse in whatever language they want.

But in Canada, it’s cause for concern… and for wasting even more taxpayer dollars trying to “remedy” this “terrible” situation.

Sigh.

{ 8 comments… add one }
  • Paul Jané 03.30.04, 11:00 PM

    Don’t get me started… 😉

  • Dr_Funk 03.31.04, 1:09 AM

    This reminds me of my own experience at University of Ottawa a few years ago. I was a callow youth from Northern Ontario. One reason I’d chosen U d’O over U of T was that I wanted to become bilingual. My high school French was current, but it was far too Parisian for most French Canadians. The result was that they would switch to English when I attempted to speak French. Consequently, I can read French but not speak it, nor understand spoken French. Not that I blame anyone but myself, but here we are.

  • davewitwer 03.31.04, 3:02 AM

    Triumph tried to tell you guys….

  • Hanthala 04.01.04, 1:26 AM

    Don’t get started either….English is the only allowed language in my home even though there is only one darn anglophone there….and who said we live in a patriarchy???

  • Jonny 04.01.04, 7:07 PM

    Segacs, want some cheese & figs with that wine?

  • segacs 04.01.04, 7:36 PM

    Actually I prefer fresh fruit. Or maybe a nice pasta dinner. Thanks anyway.

  • Hanthala 04.01.04, 10:17 PM

    Figs and wine? Mais non, voyons donc, un peu de fromage, quelques raisins, une poire, un peu de baguette, et…ah oui, du vin.

  • Hanthala 04.01.04, 10:17 PM

    After the pasta dinner of course!

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