| Popis: |
Canada, an officially bilingual country, contains two linguistically rather incompatible societies: English and French. The use of two languages has always been permitted in national institutions such as Parliament and the Supreme Court. However, it is only in response to the rise of the independence movement in Quebec that Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau enacted the policy of official bilingualism throughout Canada in 1969. A bilingual Canada made life much easier for francophone Canadians outside Quebec than before. Also, the unilingual turn of Quebec enhanced the social position of francophone Quebecers inside Quebec. In other words, francophone Quebecers have got the best of both worlds. Quebec had two provincial referendums to ask the residents if they support the independence of Quebec from Canada or not. In the first referendum(1980), the Quebec Party's proposal was soundly dashed with no major imminent threat posed to the Canadian federation. In the second referendum held in 1995, the OUI side for independence came as close as to victory. Since this shocking event, in which Canada seemed to be doomed, the mood for sovereignty has subsided a bit, but the Quebec Party continues to gather support and may be strong enough to grab power in this decade. In the author's view, concerning the language situation, francophone Quebecers should be satisfied with the status quo in a bilingual Canada. |
