Branksome Hall - Slogan Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

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16 The Branksome Slogan Canada s Language Problem Two languages mainly are spoken in Caniada, French and English, and we see that disunity, misconception and prejudice have ever been present between French and English speaking Canadians because they speak and think in these two tongues. In searching for a solution to this problem we find that neither group would abandon their language m favoiur of the other, because of the intense pride which is the heri- tage of the British and French alike. Each group believes, and with good reasons, that its own language is the expression of the most brilliant modern civilization. Consequently, both the French and Eng- lish languages must stay in Canada,, and they must live together in harmony. Since we must have two languages, then the remedy for Canada ' s language difficulty is comparatively simple. Both groups must learn both languages. In this way two dominant races will come to greater understanding and unity. Schools in all parts of Canada are required by law to teach both French and English in their classroom.s; however, the school can do nothing practical without the help and co-operation of the family, in the home. It is the duty of all Canadian families to teach respect for the two official languages of the country, and to provide, for their children, conditions that will be favourable for the learning of these languages. It is the English, and particularly the English of Ontario, who are respoinsible for most of the trouble that arises between the French and English in Canada. They have no conception of what they owe to their country, and consequently do nothing to help their children learn French. There are many good English-speaking people amongst us who, snug in the unrestricted enjoyment of their own language, feel that such a slight inconvenience to another race as the loss of certain language rights should hardly be made a subject of protest. They state that the English tongue is the clearest and most comprehensible of all languages, and that of the French-Canadians an unintelligible jargon. They hon- estly believe in the superiority of English speech and civilization, and they comsider that to make English the one official language of Canada w ould be almost a righteous act in giving the French-Canadians some- thing better than they had before. But, if we had a better under- standing of our fellow countrymen, and to do this it would be necessary to learn their language, w e could more easily see their point of view, and disagreements would not spring to the fore as readil} as at present. Unfortunately, arrogant forms of prejudice have taken root amongst us, which have told us that French-Canadians do not speak good French, and that to learn French would be to learn a miserable

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Legamus ! r

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Fifth Form