1 Nov/07, at Montreal
copyright, editorial credit when copied
letter, public presentation
Commission Bouchard-Taylor
To Whom It May Concern
Table of Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Our advantages, linguistically
3. Language as a tool
4. French-English/Other Languages, accomadation in our metropolitain centers
5. The regional spheres
6. Integration, use of the Official Language
7. Conclusion
…the presentation will follow, complete at least one week before the audience, for your consideration.
1. Introduction
In my Quebec, Language would be a regional Jurisdiction, and our Language would unite us..
In my Quebec each region would nurture their own needs, in the promotion of our rich and diverse Patrimony, while respecting the norms defined in legislation that our National Assembly enacts.
In my Quebec, industry, and government work to be as inclusive as possible in terms of their language usage, so that they can communicate globally, in as many languages possible, to ninety percent of the world's population who have a mother tongue other than English.
In my Quebec, Quebecers would take the challange in this competitive world to facilitate exchange, because we are the fortunate to live in the freest country in the world.
In my Quebec, our love for language would unite us.
2. Our advantages, linguistically
Because of our history, passing the ages of the Magna Carta, and the French Revolution, both intimately, our Custom, our Rule of Law is refined and its well earned esteem has provided us flawless rulings in two languages for these few years, since the existance of Quebec, and the Canadian State. The tolerance which we have provided ourselves wthin our own ‘Quiet Revolution’ has resulted in strong educational, and/or economic centers in the regions and a cosmopolitain city with a rich history, a jewel amongst cities for the service it can provide. And I hope, that Montreal is the downtown core, of a megalopolis spanning from Windsor through to Toronto and Ottawa and down to Boston New York and Washington, imaginably close in time to a futurist, especially with Global Warming introduced as its accelerant. In this regard, I suggest to you that Spanish is the greatest “threat”, to French spoken well, in North America.
But a threat does not require an adversarial approach. Rather, it requires us to embrace the future, an in so doing choosing to apply these forces in a manner where practically we profit the most.
In the Modern Age communication was key. Quebec is a world leader in communication, we all know that. In the Information Age bits and bytes, the processing of them is key. We must compete with the next door neighbour, a behomoth of this Age at the advent. Our advantage is the mosaic that is a part of our Urban Culture, and it should be harnessed in a manner where words from other languages are seamlessly translated to French, as our French can be translated seamlessly to English.
Think, in this manner, in Quebec, one byte can compound to tens, or hundreds of bytes.
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3. Language as a tool
I imagine a German businessman forty years from today choosing to live in Quebec because his language needs can be accomadated. By learning French, our French here in Quebec, he knows that the linguistic tools of this Official Language provides from it, translation in Japanese, as well as a myriad of other languages. He enjoys speaking French and he especially likes visiting this whole Province because of its natural beauty and the warmth people can extend to him without a language barrier.
4. French-English/Other Languages, accomadation in our metropolitain centers
I imagine a young Quebecer, a francophone by origin looking at the emergancy sign in this city’s Metro. On one side of the pictogram his language in bold, and twice as large, serving the seeing impaired as well, and on the other side several languages, along with English. I imagine he dreams of traveling, and he practices these words to remember them.
I imagine signage in French only, but advertising in the shops and on their windows in any language that will draw their customers to their wares.
I imagine schools which receive their subsidy from government for educating in French, as well as another language. Our English schools, I hope in this regard, will sustain themselves, with an ever growing population, their demographical significance will wane.
I imagine that in a world context all urban people are functional in English. By accomadating the vast majority of our immigrants, so that their languages are sustained, they will want to adapt, taking the choice to have their ‘Official Language’ at their core, because it provides for them even greater advantages.
5. The regional spheres
I imagine with a regional focus on our Language, Universities will apply themselves to this question in a manner where our understanding of our heritage is enriched because its diversity, as an identity which is closer to the land, will be not only sustained, but promoted.
There are many regions in Quebec. Each is distinctive. We risk loosing the richness of the words and the constructs they make: like song, poetry, fable; because not enough is done to integrate this knowledge in the pedagological base. But beyond the homogeneity of a language spoken well, and the pride in that, is the seeping caldron of its culture, to which I suggest we focus our own energies, in our own way.
To be accomodating to others, we will have to be accomodating to ourselves as well. This diversity in identity will promote a closness to the land, in that all its citizens can without ever having to leave this Patrimony, have an identity in speaking their French well, while in exchange they have unique distinctions they have cultured, their own history, in community, as a region...
In accomadating ourselves, in this manner, a new approach is offered to Language and its usage, as well as allowing citizens in rural areas an opportunity to revive the unique qualities they attach to their land, urban centers will grow, having the greatest number of choices for themselves.
...found it rummaging today; what do you think, as it applies to the Cyprus Problem?
Cheers!
