Mon Dieu! Coloradan may teach French to Canadians
Newsbot @ Sun Oct 11, 2009 4:40 am
Title: Mon Dieu! Coloradan may teach French to Canadians
Topic: Culture
Written By: jensonj
Date: Saturday, October 10 at 11:17
The Canadian military plans to hire a Colorado woman to teach some of its soldiers to speak French _ one of Canada's official languages.
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jensonj @ Sun Oct 11, 2009 4:40 am
I don't see how the Canadian Government can hire a US company to teach French to Canadian soldiers when Canadian french is not the same dialect of French that is spoken in the rest of the world? It is not the same as Euro french but unique to Canada. The national language program is to promote the French language spoken in Quebec not the rest of the world?
leewgrant @ Sun Oct 11, 2009 5:20 am
jensonj jensonj:
I don't see how the Canadian Government can hire a US company to teach French to Canadian soldiers when Canadian french is not the same dialect of French that is spoken in the rest of the world? It is not the same as Euro french but unique to Canada. The national language program is to promote the French language spoken in Quebec not the rest of the world?
The prime purpose is to speak French. "Chat" is a cat in both Montreal and Paris. You pick up the accent by talking to the natives. That being said, they won't get much practice in Colorado.
Dave Ruston @ Tue Oct 13, 2009 10:21 am
Various levels of government, all they do is hire American companies for various assignments. Sure shows you that our government is not on the side of Canadians.
sandorski @ Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:40 pm
In BC/Alberta, I was taught Parisian French when in school. It doesn't really matter where the Teachers/Instructors are from, just as long as they speak Parisian French.
leewgrant @ Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:43 pm
sandorski sandorski:
In BC/Alberta, I was taught Parisian French when in school. It doesn't really matter where the Teachers/Instructors are from, just as long as they speak Parisian French.
Don't laugh. My younger daughter went to a French language school. The English instructors were Belgians.
kenmore @ Tue Oct 13, 2009 3:02 pm
jensonj jensonj:
I don't see how the Canadian Government can hire a US company to teach French to Canadian soldiers when Canadian french is not the same dialect of French that is spoken in the rest of the world? It is not the same as Euro french but unique to Canada. The national language program is to promote the French language spoken in Quebec not the rest of the world?
Do you think that the military will only use french in Canada? The fact that this government is doing this is more proof that harper is anti Québéc. The idea that Parisien french is different is only true to a degree. The grammar is the same. There are idioms and dialects that are different in parts of Québec and other regions of Canada. The french spoken in Acadia is different from that spoken in New Brunswick etc.. There are many french speaking countries and they all have their own dialogues. I speak Québécois française and I travel to Europe and many other franophone countries and I have never had a problem being understood. The idea of our government hiring a US company to teach french is an insult to the people of Québéc. However, if one really wants to learn a language ( any language) they have to immerse themselves into the culture and learn the idioms and idomatic expressions that are native to the area. It might also surprise you that regions of France and Belgium have different idioms and dialogue native to that region.
Dave Ruston @ Tue Oct 13, 2009 3:07 pm
And I find it an insult to the people of Canada too! Why not hire a Canadian company?
Dr Caleb @ Tue Oct 13, 2009 3:36 pm
Dave Ruston Dave Ruston:
And I find it an insult to the people of Canada too! Why not hire a Canadian company?
Because the job is to tutor soldiers stationed in . . . Colorado Springs, Colorado?
Because it's cheaper to hire someone who is competent, and local?
kenmore @ Wed Oct 14, 2009 6:22 pm
Dr Caleb Dr Caleb:
Dave Ruston Dave Ruston:
And I find it an insult to the people of Canada too! Why not hire a Canadian company?
Because the job is to tutor soldiers stationed in . . . Colorado Springs, Colorado?
Because it's cheaper to hire someone who is competent, and local?
Right... there are so many francophones in Colorado! get real!
Dr Caleb @ Thu Oct 15, 2009 8:16 am
kenmore kenmore:
Dr Caleb Dr Caleb:
Dave Ruston Dave Ruston:
And I find it an insult to the people of Canada too! Why not hire a Canadian company?
Because the job is to tutor soldiers stationed in . . . Colorado Springs, Colorado?
Because it's cheaper to hire someone who is competent, and local?
Right... there are so many francophones in Colorado! get real!
Ahh, Kenny. Assuming Americans can't speak a language most of us here can't either. Your biases are showing again!
kenmore @ Thu Oct 15, 2009 10:30 am
No bias here at all Dr. just the facts... why spend $$$ teaching soldiers stationed in Colorado? wait until they are back in Canada and do it on the bases... wouldn't that make much more sense...?
Dave Ruston @ Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:13 am
Kenmore, you`re talking too much sense here. I mean, what are we thinking, believing that we could actually train our own? Mentally colonized minds will always state that we let the Americans do it all for us!
Dr Caleb @ Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:58 am
kenmore kenmore:
No bias here at all Dr. just the facts... why spend $$$ teaching soldiers stationed in Colorado? wait until they are back in Canada and do it on the bases... wouldn't that make much more sense...?
It might make more sense, depending on the length of their deployment. Colorado Springs is the location of many NORAD personnel. It may make more sense to hire a qualified local, than to wait for a 5 year deployment to end, or pay for the relocation of a Canadian teacher.
And assuming there can be no francophones in Colorado is bias, coming from someone who obviously didn't read the article.
michou @ Sat Oct 17, 2009 12:10 pm
Special thanks to Kenmore for laying the facts straight in regards to different French accents and spoken dialects across the world's "francophonie". Whether one hails from Paris, Montreal, Abidjan or Berne, gather them all around a table and no one will have any difficulty understanding each other, no less difficult than a Londoner, a Calgarian and a Washingtoneer would have in speaking English and understanding each other.
For those who have not traveled to European french speaking countries in the past 10 years, you would be dumbfounded by the deterioration of the French language being used there. Qu�b�cers don't understand this new European trend to forgo the use of everyday French words to the benefit of English ones. If this new trend sets in for good, Qu�bec French may well become the new standard before long.
Anyway, the hiring of an American to teach French to Canadian soldiers is totally ridiculous, considering Canada "supposedly" has two official languages....French being one of them ?