New language rules for would-be Canadian citizens to begin in November

OTTAWA - Would-be Canadians will be required to submit tangible proof of how well they speak English or French beginning this November.

ca.news.yahoo.com...

About time.

Honestly, there are so many store owners here that cannot speak English. (I'm sure their Husband can, but the women running the store at night don't) in sooooo many cases.

How do you plan on contributing to society if you cannot speak English (or French)

reply to post by CALGARIAN


Hmmm, one good decision in 60 years or more? That's something to applaud, realistically it is a good decision, but a smarter decision would have been to curb immigration until such time that the unemployment level went over say 2%. Close the doors until we needed them open, that might have been a plan and maybe we wouldn't have double digit unemployment right now or what is turning into a majority services-only based society. Change the immigration rules maybe, so that people with a skill set that was immediately required (due to job openings that couldn't be filled by people already here) were allowed in with their immediate family, meaning wife and kids, not ever ef'ing relative under the sun? Hey, how about this one, rather than give the immigrants $2,600 a month and all the perks, why don't we give the $1,600 the government gives to our pensioners, to the immigrants and the $2,600 to the pensioners. You know, the people who actually worked here for 50 years and helped build our society?

It's too little too late, our politicians have screwed us over by catering to the corporations rather than the people they allege to represent. Personally, I'd like to see them all hanging from lamp posts (after a trial of course). No offense OP, but the government really pisses me off.

Cheers - Dave

reply to post by CALGARIAN


Why do you think this is fair? It looks like discrimination to me.

Moreover, why must one be obligated to contribute to society in only the manner that is agreed upon - or at all?

reply to post by Bleeeeep


Because the alternative has demonstrated itself to be completely unworkable.

Good for them.

reply to post by Bleeeeep


Probably because this current way isn't working? Atleast the Canadians have sense enough to set a rule without fear of hurting feelings. I don't find it that hard to swallow, as a clerk at a 24 hour store I can tell you language barriers really slow down productivity.

i agree, about time they did this.

for one thing maybe with this we can save billions on having to have interpreters (provided at no cost), for anything governmental. now many will moan about the "poor immigrants" that will have issues because of this. well tough. if you want to move somewhere don't you thing you should be able to communicate? seriously lack of ability to speak the language used causes major issues on a day to day basis.

it is not a minor thing not being able to communicate with more than a small group of people. for one thing it causes confusion which tends to build up to hostility (sometimes within one conversation), which can lead to racism and bigotry against each other. heck i have even been told that I should be able to speak THEIR language, since i was working in THEIR area.

ever try to use a six year old to interpret for you about mechanical things? i have and it doesn't work. this can actually lead to DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. i once sadly watched a lady loading her 6 or 7 kids into a van that was extremely unsafe for both her and anyone else on the road because, i could not get her to understand that her brake system was practically non-functional. something i found out after applying the brakes and finding them so bad that i achieved a stop by running into equipment, (the speed i was driving didn't even register on the speedometer. we pushed that van out of the shop). but i had to watch helplessly as she and her kids piled into it and drove away, after trying to communicate to her the danger for several minutes that ended in her screaming at me, because i could not speak HER LANGUAGE. i wonder if she ever crashed and killed all her kids or someone else. all because she did not know the language.

reply to post by Bleeeeep

Moreover, why must one be obligated to contribute to society in only the manner that is agreed upon - or at all?

How can one be a contributor to society if they can't communicate in the given society's most common language?

reply to post by Bleeeeep


Of course it's discrimination. That's kind of the whole point of immigration policy. Just as I discriminate against some by determining they are not worthy of coming by for a BBQ, Canada gets to make the same call as to who we want to let in.

Speaking the language is pretty basic stuff. If they can not walk into a government office, grocery store et. and communicate in either official language then how in the hell are they ever going to manage day to day life, let alone a job?! The one caveat would be true refugees, but that is far different from ordinary immigration. At the end of the day, being discriminating is just part of being human and usually held in high regard as a trait.

We did the right thing in this case and yes, about time, indeed!

It's dangerous too..

I am certain there have been many instances where a paramedic/police/fireman was delayed assisting people because of the language barriers. It's one thing to visit a country, it's expected you won't know the language. But if you've been in a country for several years and still can't communicate properly, who are you going to call for help if no one can understand you.?

There isn't enough money to pay for all the translator necessary...

Originally posted by bobs_uruncleClose the doors until we needed them open

They want everyone to come into Canada because we need more people in our country.
We're a young, small population, country for as large of a nation we have.

Originally posted by juniperberry
It's dangerous too..

I am certain there have been many instances where a paramedic/police/fireman was delayed assisting people because of the language barriers.

A very young child was killed by the LRT system here and the uncle that was with the child that fell off the platform, could only speak ROmanian, or Russian, I forget but not a single word of English and they had to ask by standers for translation.

(not saying that was the reason the poor child died)

Originally posted by CALGARIAN

Originally posted by bobs_uruncleClose the doors until we needed them open

They want everyone to come into Canada because we need more people in our country.
We're a young, small population, country for as large of a nation we have.

First off Canada is NOT A COUNTRY, it's a british colony, a wholly owned corporate subsidiary of the city of london. I even forget sometimes on these boards. Now, with an unemployed adult (21 to 65 and not retired) rate greater than 20%, I really wonder why we need more people?

Is it to fill more welfare roles to create dissent between the middle and poor classes so that the upper 1% can have the pressure taken off of them?
Is it to demoralize or disenfranchise more people who could be living productive lives?
Is it to create an environment of non-consensus so that the government can do whatever the hell it wants?

I think all of the above.

Cheers - Dave

reply to post by CALGARIAN


If I chose to communicate in the form of interpretive dance and flatulence, then is it really discrimination if Canadians want me to speak their language instead of mine?

Good for Canada. It is important that every country takes protection of its cultural heritage into account in immigrationn policy. Knowing the language is the bare minimum.

so ATS members are cool with Canada doing this but not the United States..

reply to post by Ancient Champion


Except that in America English is the most common language spoken, but some are forced to learn Spanish to accommodate the Hispanic population. For example, California requires schools to teach Spanish instead of required Hispanics to learn English.

I applaud this, but not for the reasons many may think.

I believe that citizenship is an honor, and -not- a right. You want to visit our country? By all means! You want to reside and work here (non-citizen) - by all means! You want the right to vote and declare this country your home? Well, pass a basic history and language test, eh? (and this goes for say, native-born people as well. You turn 18, you take the Citizenship Test before you can vote.)

As an American who's traveled abroad, I'm glad that English is widely spoken. An international language is useful. But I take the time to learn the language (and culture and customs) of any country I live in, so that I can communicate in the "common language" wherever I live!

Quebecers speak Quebecois French, the rest of Canada, English. You live in those regions, you should learn the language! You live in China? Learn Chinese! etc. Does that mean to shun enclaves of expats who speak your native tongue? Not at all, look at Chinatowns all over the world.

Originally posted by Ancient Champion
so ATS members are cool with Canada doing this but not the United States..

edit on 30-9-2012 by Ancient Champion because: (no reason given)

I think it's great for Canada and would also be great for the USA, we have a population of Hispanics around here and none of them speak any English!

While waiting for the bus they talk to me and my 2 years of Spanish.... well, basically I've forgotten most of it, and it takes me a while to remember what the words they are saying mean. So we can't communicate! I went to my son's school one time and was held up for half an hour because a woman demanded to be talked to in Spanish about a problem with her child!!

Learn the language of the country you are trying to be a part of!

Originally posted by CALGARIAN

OTTAWA - Would-be Canadians will be required to submit tangible proof of how well they speak English or French beginning this November.

ca.news.yahoo.com...

About time.

Honestly, there are so many store owners here that cannot speak English. (I'm sure their Husband can, but the women running the store at night don't) in sooooo many cases.

How do you plan on contributing to society if you cannot speak English (or French)

edit on Fri Sep 28 2012 by DontTreadOnMe because: IMPORTANT: Using Content From Other Websites on ATS

I don't know anything about the immigration issues of Canada. This seems to be a defense against people that can't speak English or French, but can only speak ________. What's in the blank?

/TOA