So They Want Us to Learn French
Promoting and Opposing Bilingualism in English-Speaking Canada
Set against a dramatic background of constitutional changes and controversies, economic turmoil, demographic shifts, and the on-again, off-again possibility of Quebec separatism, So They Want Us to Learn French tackles the complex and emotionally charged issue of Canadian bilingualism.
Description
Bilingualism has become a defining aspect of Canadian identity. But why don’t more English Canadians actually speak French? So They Want Us to Learn French explores the various ways in which bilingualism was promoted to English-speaking Canadians from the 1960s to the late 1990s. It analyzes the strategies and tactics employed by organizations on both sides of the bilingualism debate. Attentive to the dramatic background of constitutional change, economic turmoil, demographic shifts, and Quebec separatism, Matthew Hayday’s vivid account places the personal experience of Canadians faced with the issue and reality of Canadian bilingualism within a historical, political, and social context.