In 2012, CBC Radio's This is That program reported on a controversial new bylaw: dogs in Montreal would be required to understand both French and English. Chaos was reigning in the city's dog parks, and confusion in communication was the cause. With some dogs responding to English commands and other to French, mandated dog bilingualism was the only solution to the problem, said a city official.
]]> Or, rather, a fake city official. The story managed to fool many twitter users and even some legitimate news sites, but it was a parody; This is That regularly fabricates stories to comment on current events. Good thing, too, because as a monolingual English speaker, there's no way I could keep up if even dogs had to understand both languages. It seems ridiculous so many people were taken in by the notion, if only because animals can't be bilingual.Or can they?
Parrots have long been admired as intelligent pets able to mimic human speech. Individual parrots have been learning multiple languages for centuries, and ads in Paris from the late 1700s often boasted bilingual parrots for sale. One particularly spirited bilingual parrot, Millie, dazzled (and then shocked) attendees of Expo 67 with her fluency in French and English, particularly her expansive bilingual knowledge of curse words.
However, parrots are not actually fluent in human language the way we define fluency. A parrot can't learn grammar the way we can, and it can't grasp the meaning of abstract concepts. When a parrot is speaking to us, it's simply using sounds that have been associated with certain actions.
This isn't to say a parrot's ability to speak isn't a sign of intelligence--it still is impressive that they are able to learn our dialects at all. A parrot that says suppertime to you when you bring it food has managed to connect that specific sound to the arrival of food, and then has been able to make that sound back to you in multiple contexts; it knows to request food and acknowledge food with that sound. Supposedly bilingual parrots do the same, but with multiple languages.
How strange parrots must think we are, to have such different words for the same things!
So if parrots aren't truly bilingual, are any animals? Is it even possible for animals to be truly bilingual?
Finches are among the numerous species of birds to demonstrate what is effectively bilingualism. They are able to learn the calls of other birds not only to mimic, but to understand and use--just like a human learning a second language. Nuthatches are able to decipher the complex calls of chickadees--a bird they're not closely related to--down to knowing the exact difference between a large-predator and small-predator warning, and are able to react appropriately to each. Wrens have been observed eavesdropping on the calls of other birds and understanding them.
These findings are extremely important in the study of how human language developed. Humans communicate in ways no other species on Earth does, and it seems obvious to assume that bilingualism developed after language. The ways these birds communicate, however, suggests the opposite: the capacity for learning multiple modes of communication in humans likely evolved before lexical (language based) bilingualism was even an idea.
It's fascinating how complex language and communication are. To a finch, or a nuthatch, or a wren, being able to learn and use other birds' calls is often a matter of life or death, and so they've evolved to be bilingual. Knowing birds are showing me up in bilingual fluency is a bit embarrassing--time to get back to practicing my own bilingualism!
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They speak French. Some of them send their children to French schools to preserve their language. They have their own flag, their own culture, and their own history.
They also live in Saskatchewan.
The Fransaskois may not have the numbers that the Quebecois or even the Franco-Manitobans, but they are still an important part of Saskatchewan's history. The province has small settlements and hamlets that are entirely francophone as well as towns and cities that have sizeable, sometimes majority, Fransaskois populations. Everywhere the Fransaskois are, they celebrate their language and unique origins as proudly as any Quebecois.
]]> The French have been moving into the Prairie Provinces for centuries. Like their fellow English Canadians, they came for opportunities, jobs, and new lives in the west. While the first wave of French settlers came primarily for the furs in the area, the next--nearly a century later--moved to the prairies as a part of a push for immigration by the Catholic Church. Most of these people were farmers, and most were dedicated to their language and their religion in equal measures. Their unique prairie life was not assimilated by the largely Protestant English settling around them, and the French population of Saskatchewan in the early 1900s quickly grew to fifty thousand.These days, the Fransaskois number around eighty-five thousand, with most living in Saskatchewan. Zenon Park is a small bilingual village that once was nearly all French, having been settled by Quebec immigrants coming to work in agriculture and logging. One former resident of the village is Debbie Grassing, who grew up in one of Saskatchewan's French households. At that time, there were only a few families who couldn't speak any French, and though almost everyone was bilingual, she didn't learn English herself until first grade.
"It wasn't that gradual," Debbie says. "We had one hour of French a day, and most of our other classes were all in English." Though she had some bilingual teachers to help them, Debbie says there were no modern-style immersion programs back then. By the time she was in grade two, televisions were more popular, and everyone's English rapidly improved from there. "We didn't know any different," Debbie says; to her and all the other kids of Zenon Park, the whole world must have been learning two languages.
One of the biggest differences between Saskatchewan's French communities and Quebec is the regional language differences. "I think out west here we incorporate more English words into our language as we go along," Debbie says, which is a result of being surrounded by English-speaking people. Most of Zenon Park's resident's parents or grandparents had been from Quebec, and they each brought their own regional French dialect when they came for jobs.
Separated from Quebec, the French language in Saskatchewan grew in its own way, to the point where the Fransaskois accent is unrecognizable to French speakers in Quebec. Once, on a school trip to Quebec, Debbie found that Montrealers knew that she wasn't from there, but they couldn't tell where she was from, either. They had never heard a French accent from Saskatchewan. Interestingly, the French in New Brunswick resembled her own far more than the French in Quebec did.
The Fransaskois population is comparatively small, even in relation to neighbouring Manitoba's French population, and smaller communities become isolated from each other, which can make passing on the Fransaskois culture hard. The school system is helping to keep the language itself alive in Saskatchewan, but French Saskatchewan is about more than just the language.
Though on a smaller scale, French communities in Saskatchewan can relate to Quebec's own struggles to keep the French culture alive. "It's very difficult for students if one of their parents isn't French, because it comes with a certain culture, also, not just the language," says Debbie. She taught her own children a few French words, but they aren't fluent. Just as television taught her generation how to speak English, the internet has taught the young residents of Saskatchewan's French towns, starting at much younger ages. Speaking French at home is rarer now, too, as it's more and more common for Fransaskois to marry an English person.
There is hope, however. The Association Communautaire Fransaskois works to unite Saskatchewan's French population, and there is a regular French paper called L'Eau Vive that circulates around the province. Fransaskois can also tune into Radio-Canada for French programming on radio and television, some of which is even produced in Saskatchewan. French language arts festival and groups for anything from folk arts to fine theatre offer Fransaskois opportunities to express themselves creatively. Saskatchewan's French residents may have to work harder to hold on to their culture, but they aren't giving up.
"Open your eyes," Debbie says to the people who don't know about Saskatchewan's French communities. "Everywhere you go there are different cultures, and there are a lot more French people out west than Quebec people realise."
]]>Je suis un oiseau.
Ni l'abeille, ni la baleine.
Il mange une abeille.
I'm not sure when I'll be using those phrases, but if Duolingo is trying to make learning French memorable, it has succeeded. When I picked up the app, I wasn't expecting much--there was no way an iPhone app could teach me a language I had no knowledge of. Two months of using Duolingo later, I'm willing to admit I was wrong. While it's not a substitute for classroom learning, Duolingo is a useful way to start learning a language on your own time and at your own pace.
]]>Immersive learning is the main principle behind Duolingo's method. Instead of sitting you down and explaining you grammar theory, Duolingo drops you right in to translating various words and phrases, with a few hints along the way. The lessons start simple and cover the basics and short phrases before progressing to more complex skills and longer translations. In addition to translating words and phrases back and forth, users are given sentences they must pronounce properly, helping them learn the sounds of the language.
Duolingo can be used either as a free app (for iOS, Android, and Windows phones) or as a website. There are no in-app purchases, so in this world of freemium content, Duolingo truly is free; there is not a single cent you have to pay ever, for anything. Instead, users earn Lingots that they can exchange for bonus skills or help as they progress through lessons.
The app's design is attractive and simple, with no extraneous options or screens for the user to sort through. Progression through lessons is linear, so you won't lose your spot when you put the app down for a day. The website has more options, but it's still easy to navigate, and has the added bonus of discussion questions users can read over to learn more about the lessons they're taking. Both the website and the app have a social component, where you can add your friends and compete with your weekly progress--the more lessons you do, the more experience points you get, and the higher you are on the leaderboard.
Duolingo isn't perfect; it would be nearly impossible to become wholly fluent using Duolingo alone, and the app's lack of the discussion questions the website has is detrimental when you're stuck on a word or phrase. The app also suffers compared to the website when it comes to handing out experience points--on the website, up to ten experience points are rewarded vary on the length and success of the lesson, while on the app every lesson is always rewarded ten points, meaning it's harder to gauge what you should be focusing on based on your feedback.
I also found the bonus skills a lot harder than the other lessons. They would likely be best left until you've progressed through almost all of the lessons, which defeats their purpose as rewards in the beginning. The Flirting lessons are also almost useless for anything other than a laugh, as the lines the app gives you would never go over well.
However, Duolingo is still a very worthwhile language learning system to pick up. You can set your own daily goal, meaning you are the one dictating how much time you can put into the lessons, which is perfect for a busy schedule. On the app, Lingot rewards can be spent towards fun outfits for Duolingo's mascot, and on the website, Lingots can be used towards personal challenges. Friendly competition can keep you on top of your goals for the week, as well--I know I've had days where I've felt too exhausted to do my lessons, but the goal of staying on top of my score board inspired me.
Duolingo is easy to keep up with, and is very forgiving if you miss a day (or more) of lessons. As time goes on, skills you've learned lose their mastery, and you can redo them to refresh your memory. Missing a day of lessons only knocks down the mastery on a few skills, and you don't lose your experience points or Lingot rewards. Even if your mastery is high, you can still redo any lesson at any time, letting you decide if you need to strengthen certain skills. Experienced language learners can take advantage of the skill mastery system and test out of certain parts of the lessons, meaning someone with a few years of a language under their belt isn't stuck learning the basics.
Most important of all, Duolingo is fun. Not all of the phrases for users to translate are funny, but many are, and it keeps your attention. I know I learn best when I can laugh at something, and I'm not forgetting how to say "Il mange une abeille" any time soon. Duolingo's strange translations even have a dedicated blog, WTF Duolingo, where users can submit their own weird Duolingo finds.
Learning a language is a complicated process. It takes a combination of studying, practicing, and listening to really get a grasp on fluency. While Duolingo probably won't teach you an entire language all on its own, it's a great way to get started, brush up on some old skills, or supplement your own classroom learning on your own time, all while having fun.
Les chats boivent du thé!
]]>Sam and Simon
The thirties are a strange time, a sort of limbo between not being old enough to be considered middle-aged and not quite young enough to be considered...well, young. However, they are thought to be the time when an individual attains maturity and stability in most areas of life, or so we like to think. Ces gars-là, roughly translated as "Those Boys," follows the lives of two quirky bachelors in their thirties as they chase highs and experience lows in the metropolis of none other than Montréal. The show has been a surprising hit on the relatively minor V network, attracting 500,000 viewers in its first season, and was renewed for a second season which debuted last February. It breaks ground in Quebec television through its realistic representation of life in Montreal, such as the pervasive use of anglicisms in everyday French speech, as well as the evident presence and influence of multiculturalism and bilingualism throughout the city. Despite its raunchy and occasionally over-the-top brand of humour, the show is nonetheless thoroughly entertaining thanks to its original characters, plot and dialogue.
]]> CharactersSam and Simon, the show's main characters, are played by their real-life counterparts, comedian Sugar Sammy and Simon Oliver Fecteau, the latter of whom is actually the director of the show. The duo, based on the familiar "nice guy and bad boy" formula along the lines of "Two and a Half Men," nonetheless manage to stand out through their particular relationship. The show regularly draws on the complementary nature of Simon's bashful apprehension and Sam's zany gusto for comedic situations. Adding to their on-screen chemistry is the strong bond between the two friends from very different backgrounds, an anglophone of Indian descent and a white francophone. Sam is depicted as a wisecracking, self-assured womanizer who still lives with his parents, and Simon as a needy, unconfident wreck marred by his neurotic obsession with his ex-girlfriend. Interestingly (or frustratingly), theirs professions are never revealed, which begs the question as to how the two stags manage to fund their indulgent, urban lifestyle. The show's secondary characters are also intriguing in their own way, influencing much of the main characters' actions and thoughts. Amélie is an indecisive, confused woman who depends on Simon for many things even after their break-up. Despite her slightly clichéd role as a damsel in distress, her involvement in much of Sam and Simon's daily shenanigans adds depth to the plot and offsets the dynamic duo's masculine energy that reigns throughout the show. Sam's parents are stereotypical Indian immigrants who are nonetheless sweet, caring and unintentionally funny. They provide many laughs throughout the show by the manner in which they respond to unpleasant situations, such as when the Office québécois de langue française fines them over $8000 for putting up posters that say "garage sale" instead of "vente de garage." Aside from these major characters, there are also many unusual minor characters in each episode, who offer a refreshing perspective of the different types of people that are found in Montreal without being overly one-dimensional or contrived. Though the characters may at times seem too much like caricatures, they are for the most part believable, captivating, but most of all, relatable, allowing audiences to become invested in the outcome of their interactions.
The duo's natural habitat
Plot (Spoiler Warning)
The storyline is linear, each episode following the events of the previous, but with usually unrelated plots. The pilot opens with the two sitting in a bar as Sam tries to cheer up Simon following his recent break-up with his long-time girlfriend, Amélie. To this end, he jokingly tells him, "it's just a girl, it's not like you lost your car or something," which epitomizes his goofy personality. Simon attempts to "get back in the game" by approaching an attractive woman sitting by herself, but is discouraged when she spurns him curtly. This first episode sets the tone for the rest of the duo's adventure of going out and picking up women, encountering all sorts of odd, unpredictable ladies: an ultra-Quebec separatist, a woman with severe halitosis, and a lax mother of a malicious, troubled teen, just to name a few. Throughout the 10-episode run, Simon constantly tries to make up with Amélie, which turns complicated when she and Sam develop a secret relationship behind his back. The season ends as he prepares to ask Amélie for her hand in marriage, only to walk in on Sam giving her a friendly peck on the lips as they forge a promise never to let their relationship come to light. Although the show's dominant theme is the duo's quest for casual encounters with numerous women, they come to realize that their virility cannot suppress their deep-seated desire for love and romance. Many important elements of the plot seem absurd or exaggerated to a ridiculous degree, such as Sam still living with his parents or Simon's unhealthy desire to get back with his ex ("Move on already!" may be uttered more than a few times), but through suspension of disbelief, viewers can accept the situations as normal and appreciate their humour thanks to the semblance of truth contained in each one of them.
Simon and Amélie
Dialogue
According to Sugar Sammy and Fecteau, they wanted to "reflect what guys in their mid-thirties think and say when women aren't around," which they have undoubtedly accomplished through the often crass subject matter that is discussed throughout. Over the course of the show, Sam's jokes become increasingly boorish, exemplified by lines like "it pays to be gay in show business" and "a 30-year old woman is like a used car: it'll get you where you need to go, but you wouldn't show it off to your friends," which may amuse or offend depending on the audience's gender, age and sense of humour. In one particularly memorable scene, after desperately trying to avoid telling his date that she has bad breath, Simon finally snaps when pushed to explain his strange behaviour and tells her, "Your breath stinks! Your mouth smells like decay! It's as if a goat walked in and did its business right in your mouth!" This is a fine example of a mean, but undeniably funny premise, which is sure to get anyone laughing (unless they themselves suffer from awful breath). An important innovation in the show's dialogue is the realistic portrayal of the amount of English that can be heard in Montreal. Sam constantly peppers his predominantly French speech with English words, phrases and sometimes entire exchanges, albeit most of it is subtitled in French. This is rare considering the supposed unpopularity of English on French networks, but this myth is debunked by the largely francophone viewership who have responded positively to the generous incorporation of the "rival" language, paving the way for future programs to follow in their footsteps. One minor complaint in the dialogue may be Sam and Simon's redundant addressing of each other as "bro" and "man," but it is nonetheless an accurate reflection of commonplace Montreal vernacular which must be embraced for what it is: two grown men clutching onto whatever is left of their youth.
Overall, the show has been a large success in terms of ratings and originality. Its central theme of love life in the thirties and its truthful exploration of the many facets of culture and language in Montreal have appealed to a wide audience of all backgrounds and ages, earning itself critical acclaim, as well as another season. Its occasional over-the-top moments are easily outweighed by its entertainment value from its original characters, plot and dialogue. Will Sam eventually stop sowing his wild oats and settle down? Will Simon finally end up with Amélie again? The only way to find out is by tuning in on Mondays at 8 p.m.
]]>Code-switching is generally identified as the alternation between two or more languages within one conversation or context. Many factors contribute to the phenomenon and just as many reasons underlie it. On a smaller scale, code-switching is primarily generated by the propinquity of two or more languages that are either all official or spoken by a vast majority of people within one community.
Montreal, being a mutilingual city where French and English are dominantly in use, is an example par excellence of such a community. The ease with which Montrealers switch from one language to the other in the same conversation, and for no apparent reason, may very well stump foreigners who are unfamiliar with the local linguistic overlap. Some qualify the phenomenon of code-switching as a sure testimony to a person`s high IQ--the capability to juggle a couple of languages within the space of a single utterance seems impressive. It is even acknowledged that, more often than not, people code-switch for an added stylistic effect, for the sake of variety so to speak, and not because they have a poor command of their native language.
Given the many language policies affecting the status of French and English over the course of Quebec`s history, Anglophones and Francophones have oftentimes found themselves at daggers drawn as regards language prevalence and prestige. It is important to note that the latter is only a superficial issue; the bottom part of the iceberg is all about identity and the way the two lingusitic groups position themselves based on their attitude towards either English or French specifically and bilingualism within the country in general.
]]> "'Nous autres c 'est toujours bilingue anyways': Code-Switching and Linguistic Displacement Among Bilingual Montréal Students" is an article featuring a highly relevant study carried out by an American independent student, Eva Valenti, with the goal of gaining a deeper insight into the identity "shift" stipulated by the co-existence of French and English in Montreal.The author does a good job pointing out certain important aspects of the study`s participants` linguistic standing and personal identification, which are representative of the general views shared by the English and the French strata of the city.Nevertheless, the fact that three of the participants were raised in either bilingual or multilingual households is confusing for the simple fact that multilingual individuals, even if they were raised in Montreal, fall under a separate category that is a lot broader than just bilingualism. Also, two of the participants were raised by a Francophone father and an Anglophone mother, thus being barely able to identify as either just Anglophone or just Francophone, which slants the study into a little bit of a different direction. In my opinion, it would be more appropriate, in the context of this specific study, to choose individuals who were raised in unilingual households but who became bilingual consciously and whose subconscious code-switching is not influenced by the fact that they speak, in equal measure, two or more languages at home.
The article revolves around the question of the English and French identities and how the Anglophone group regards its French counterpart in the context of language dominance and vice versa. Code-switching is observed by the author via interviewing the participants about the status of English and French in Quebec, the prospects of employment, whether, in their opinion, there is a preference as to which language a candidate must speak at any rate to suceed in the local job market and whether or not they consider bilingualism to be a deciding factor in successfully landing a desired position.
These interviews, conducted separately with a group of Anglophone and a group of Francophone students, shed light on how the representatives of both linguistic groups alternate English and French in their answers, what the potential reasons behind their individual, yet subconscious, code-switching may be as well as which of the two groups tends to code-switch the more and why.
For instance, as far as the study goes, the Francophone students used code-switching more extensively and actively than their Anglophone counterparts, which the author considers to be directly proportional to the former`s subconscious desire to participate on an equal footing in the so-called They code (Anglophones)--the Francophones felt the necessity to manifest their ability to do so by way of code-switching a lot and thus proving that they are perfectly bilingual. This pattern is, however, inconsistent since not all the Francophones had the same level of bilingualism. Conversely, the Anglophones had a tendency to code-switch sparsely and in very specific contexts, mainly to designate Franchophone phenomena and to set themselves apart from the They code (Francophones), as opposed to seeking participation in it.
The article is good in that it has a very clear-cut structure and effectively demonstrates the respective tendencies of code-switching in the Anglophone and the Francophone communities of Montreal and, by extension, Quebec, by means of choosing a very distinctive category of speakers--students. To begin with, Valenti uses clearly defined terms throughout her article; she starts off by providing an explanatory definition of code-switching: "Code-switching (CS) is a linguistic phenomenon in which a bilingual speaker switches freely between their languages (codes) within a single utterance, conversational turn, or conversation. Linguists can often pinpoint a "we" code and a "they" code based on the speaker's respective comfort levels with the two languages."
Already here we can see that she includes the notions of the "we" and "they" codes which she will focus on more closely in the actual study. Clear definitions of concepts or terms that may come out as unknown to the general public are key to the quality of a paper. As is pointed out by Laurence Behrens in his Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum, "the validity of an argument depends to some degree on how carefuly an author has defined key terms." (Behrens, 28).
For her study, the author had chosen five Anglophone students enrolled in a Francophone university (Université de Montréal), and five Francophone students enrolled in Anglophone universities (Concordia and McGill). That selection is important since it features individuals who are "linguistically displaced" per se and whose mentalities are adapted to the Anglo-Franco dichotomy on a daily basis; as opposed to Anglophones and Francophones who attend Anglophone and Francophone institutions respectively and who may be less alert to issues of bilingualism, at least as students.
The author based her study on some very clever principles: she interviewed the participants in two phases, which allowed her to observe a change in the code-switching pattern of some of the participants. First, she recorded the discussion between the Anglophones and then between the Francophones without being present herself--so as to prevent her Anglophone presence from influencing the direction the discussions might take and the patterns of code-switching they may involve (especially with the Francophones).
In the second phase of the study, on the other hand, she interviewed each group in person, which, as she notes, had a certain influence over the instances of code-switching of at least two of the participants: "Alexia and Andrea, who were less secure in their bilingualism, used more CS in their private discussion than in their individual interviews with me, possibly because they were intimidated by an Anglophone audience."
However well-conducted, the study also leaves room for ambiguity. The main confusing factor is, in my opinion, the involvement of three participants that were raised in either multilingual or bilingual households. The author herself points out the broader background of one of them specifically as opposed to the others who grew up speaking one language at home: "Ibrahim was raised in Francophone Outremont by a Turkish father and a Filipina mother. He never mentioned linguistic tensions in his interview. He recognized that Anglophone students were a minority at UdeM and expressed "solidarity"; still, rather than identifying as Anglophone, Ibrahim referred to himself as "an international type of guy" whose identity hinged on multilingualism--and, by extension, multiculturalism--rather than on English or French alone. The same ambiguity applied to [his] national identit[y]."
To begin with, in the case of Ibrahim, one could assume that English was the language of convergence for his parents neither of whom probably spoke the native language of the other. That is why, their son was, hypothetically speaking, raised mainly in English. Nevertheless, it was only natural that he could not fully identify as either Anglophone or Francophone because there is a certain probability that he was equally taught his parents` respective languages. The author seems to leave out of consideration this important factor whereas she should have expatiated upon it. Or else, she should have altogether avoided the participation of multilingual and multicultural individuals in this particular study.
Furthermore, as the study shows, Ibrahim was the one to code-switch the most: " Ibrahim used more pure CS than any of my other Anglophone participants. Sometimes he seemed to use a French word after an attempt to find its English equivalent [...] These examples are arguably not CS, since they appear to result from a lexical gap. Still, the lexical gap here is in Ibrahim's native language. Ibrahim, despite identifying as Anglophone, has a "native" vocabulary including both French and English terms; these examples further support the case for a "bilingual" language identity."
The last statement is quite gratuitous since, as we already know, Ibrahim comes from a background wherein more than just two languages were probably spoken. Also, since Ibrahim turned out to be the one who code-switched the most in the Anglophone group and since he has a multiethnic identity, it may be that he has a partial command of all the languages that he grew up speaking at home. As is obvious from the quote, he code-switched to French whenever he struggled to find an appropriate word in English, which does not at all mean that there was no such word--it is just that he could not think of it. That may be due to the somewhat miscellaneous nature of the participant`s language identity, which is further supported by the fact that the "pure" Anglophones code-switched for reasons other than simply not coming up with a word in their native language. They used code-switching to point out the "Frenchness" of this or that phenomenon as opposed to being at a loss for a word.
Also, in the quote, the author mentions that Ibrahim`s native vocabulary comprises both French and English words, which, according to the author, accounts for the participant`s code-switching. However, it is not specified at the outset which language was most spoken in his home. It could have been English--as his parents` language of convergence--it could have been French and it could have been either Turkish or Filipino or both. It could have also been a mixture of all those. That needs clarification and might even lend itself to a separate study.
In the final analysis, the article may definitely be of interest to those concerned with the topic of bilingualism in general and in Montreal in particular. The study featured reveals some really important facets of bilingualism and offers a valuable insight into the concept of code-switching within the frame of a bilingual language identity. Nevertheless, the author could have done an even better job and avoided certain ambiguities if she had chosen pure Anglophones and pure Francophones for this particular study. The presence of multicultural and multilingual individuals in a study that is supposed to be evaluating "bilingual language identities" makes it a lot more complex than the goal of the research seemingly was.
Sources:
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02722011.2014.939423 ...
Behrens, Laurence and Leonard Rosen. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. New York: Pearson, Longman, 2007
]]>Bon Cop, Bad Cop is a 2006 bilingual Canadian R-rated buddy cop film from Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm starring Canadian actors Patrick Huard and Colm Feore. Directed by French-Canadian Eric Canuel and shot totally in Canada, Bon Cop, Bad Cop boasts Canadian humour, locations, and references. With the plot set in both Ontario and Quebec, the film divides its lines between French and English, sometimes rapidly switching between the two mid-line. Subtitles were supplied for separate Anglophone and Francophone versions on release, making the movie accessible to all audiences. While some jokes fall flat as the tone of the movie wears on in the last act, overall Bon Cop, Bad Cop is an enjoyable (if raunchy) watch.
]]> Alliance Atlantis VivafilmWarning: Spoilers!
Ontarian Anglophone cop Martin Ward and crass Quebecois Francophone cop David Bouchard meet when a body is found hanging from a sign over the Ontario-Quebec border. Their cultural differences clash instantly--Ward views Bouchard as unprofessional, and Bouchard can see only Anglophone rigidity in Ward. Given the nature of the crime, they are assigned to work together on the case by their superiors, a resolution neither cop is fond of.
The body is identified as hockey executive Benoit Brisset. Ward and Bouchard visit a roadside bar, looking for suspect Luc Therrien (Sylvain Marcel). Ward and Bouchard's methods clash, and after a bar fight, Therrien is tied up in the trunk of Bouchard's car. With Therrien still in the car, Bouchard takes Ward to his daughter's ballet recital, having previously promised to attend. Afterward, the two find Bouchard's car being towed, but the car explodes before they can confront the tow truck.
Deciding to follow Bouchard's suggestion to wait to report the explosion, the two head to Therrien's home for more clues. There, they find the dead body of a former hockey team owner and set a marijuana grow-op in the basement on fire. With both cops high on the fumes, they report in to Bouchard's chief, who dismisses them from the case.
After another body is found in Toronto, Ward and Bouchard realise the killer is tattooing all his victims with clues to the next murder. Every victim is connected to hockey in some way, and the two cops join forces again to warn who they suspect the next victim will be. They are too late, and he goes missing before they can act.
Ward and Bouchard appear on a hockey broadcast show that the victim was meant to guest on, hosted by Don Cherry-parody, Tom Berry (Rick Mercer). As Berry and Bouchard fight, the Tattoo Killer calls in and claims he's already tattooing the missing guest. He is disconnected, but not before threatening Ward and Bouchard.
Later that night, Therrien--not truly dead--attacks Ward. The two realise that the body in Bouchard's car was not Therrien, and that Therrien is working with someone else.
Bouchard's daughter is kidnapped and strapped to a bomb by the true Tattoo Killer (Patrice Belanger). Ward and Bouchard track him down, offering to exchange Therrien and hockey executive Harry Buttman (Rick Howland) for Bouchard's daughter. The killer, having been directing Therrien all along, does not listen to their attempts to reason, becoming incensed when they insist hockey is just a game. The Tattoo Killer views hockey as a source of Canadian nationalistic pride, and is distracted by Ward in his anger as Bouchard unties his daughter. Ward manages to disarm the bomb as the killer runs.
Bouchard pursues the killer as he tries to escape in Ward's car. The killer flips the car and, after a fight, runs back to where Bouchard's daughter had been held. He dies in an explosion, as Ward rearmed the bomb once Bouchard's daughter was freed.
Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm
Bon Cop, Bad Cop's inside jokes are directed at a specific group of Eastern bilingual Canadians, but when they land, they land well. The use of bilingual humour reinforces the inter-provincial setting, though some of the more rapid fire jokes will be lost on all but the most fluent viewers if they opt not to use subtitles.
One of the most successful jokes concerns translation curses between English and French. Bouchard, as he stuffs Therrien in the trunk of his car, casually explains to Ward how he can string together French curses for increasingly explicit effect. Ward later demonstrates what he's learned in a colourful string of shocked French expletives as he watches Bouchard's car burn. These moments are where the chemistry Ward and Bouchard have shine, with both moving out of their stereotypical rivalry and into an unconventional partnership.
Rick Mercer's cameo is charmingly abrasive, and all the more effective for managing to not over exaggerate the personality of the men he's parodying. Quebecois comedian Louis-José Houde's role as a coroner is quick, succinct, and hilarious, with both English Ward and French Bouchard commenting that his joual speech was equally unintelligible to them both.
Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm
Still, Bon Cop, Bad Cop's humour feels too specific at times for a general audience. The tone of the movie doesn't seem to know if it wants to be as dark as it comes across, and so some of the more juvenile jokes--Harry Buttman instead of Gary Bettman, for example--feel out of place. A lot of the humour relies on regional stereotypes and inside jokes, as well as knowledge of the NHL, so people from other backgrounds will likely feel lost at multiple points in the plot.
David Bouchard spends much of the movie as a loudmouthed bad cop, and at times it feels forced. The inter-personal drama that arises from Ward and Bouchard concerning their love lives feels out of place for the two, and with Bouchard's more relatable moments few and far between, it's hard to feel for him. Though Bouchard's crass attitude is meant to play off of Ward's more buckled down approach, Ward comes across as less of a stereotype and more of an average person.
The more dramatic moments often don't have enough time to hit home before the film switches back to humour, which can confuse the audience. By the last act, the movie's confused tone feels as though it's dragging on. The sudden seriousness doesn't play well with the setup before, and the climax feels a little lost and rushed. Therrien's reveal is played in a one-two punch, giving the audience no time to absorb, and the identity of the Tattoo Killer is understated and not a shock.
Bon Cop, Bad Cop's resolution would be more satisfying if the climax was stronger, but there is a wry humour in it that viewers may appreciate. Though Bon Cop, Bad Cop is a movie most effective with a specific, Quebecois or Ontarian bilingual audience, it's a good watch for anyone looking to have a few Canadian laughs.
Overall, Bon Cop, Bad Cop earns three out of five hockey pucks.
]]>Language has long been a contentious subject of debate in Quebec. Since the earliest days of British colonization, French Canadians have fervently resisted assimilation into the anglophone majority, which eventually gave birth to the nation's defining policy of official bilingualism whereby English and French have equal status in Canada. Despite the federal government's efforts to satisfy the linguistic needs of every citizen, the Quebec government saw it necessary to protect the language rights of Quebecers, as well as the integrity of the language itself. One such safeguard was establishing the Office québécois de la langue française which, over the years, has gained notoriety due to its perceived overzealous enforcement of Bill 101. The prevalence of such incidents has led many nowadays to believe that the OQLF has outlived its usefulness and relevance. To determine the reality of this attitude, the factors that gave rise to the Office must be weighed against its present role in Quebec society.
Since its establishment in 1961 under the Liberal government of Jean Lesage, the OQLF has undertaken the mission to establish and maintain French as the official language of Quebec institutions and businesses. Under the Charter of the French Language (a.k.a. Bill 101), "the Office may, among other things, take any appropriate measure to promote French." Despite the Charter's apparent objective, it was generally understood that the Office's intended purpose was to minimize the use of English in Quebec, the predominant threat to "the instrument by which that people has articulated its identity." The strategy worked, and Quebec managed to take control of its domestic affairs and obtain a greater level of autonomy in society, government and economy (Maîtres chez nous as famously said by Lesage). This was thanks in part to the implicit requirement of Quebec residents to speak French, which led to a mass exodus of business-minded anglophones. Though they may have benefited from it in the past, not all French-speaking Quebecers favour the Office, and some even disagree with its redundant platform of protecting francophone interests.
Jean Lesage's famous campaign slogan, "now or never...masters of our own house"
One individual of the latter opinion is Calvin Veltman, a linguistic demographer and former sociology professor at UQAM. According to his court testimony on the constitutional validity of Bill 101, "provincial demographers, civil servants, and politicians who promote the idea that French is threatened do so to push their own agendas, which in many cases can be the protection of their own jobs." Though his claim obviously calls into question the actions of the Office's employees, it may not be too far from the truth, seeing that security of the French language would entirely marginalize the Office's purpose, resulting in a mass layoff. It has been repeated ad nauseam that power corrupts, but the cliché rings especially true for the Office's detractors and victims, who perceive its actions as unconstitutional and arbitrary. From the outset of Quebec's struggle to become "masters of their house" to the present, public opinion of the Office has shifted from an organization dedicated to protecting the rights of French-speaking Quebecers to one abusing its authority to eliminate all external, non-French influences within Quebec.
Newspaper comic satirizing the result of the OQLF's efforts
Montreal's very own Mordecai Richler was a staunch critic of the Office's policies and once even called the anglophone exodus a "gentile ethnic cleansing." In 1992, he authored Oh Canada! Oh Quebec! Requiem for a Divided Country, ridiculing what he considered "the western world's goofiest and most unnecessary political crisis," referring to Quebec's language laws. The book drew much controversy and strong criticism from Quebec nationalists, for whom Richler's words probably hit closer to home today than ever before. Pastagate, the incident that thrust the OQLF into the international spotlight in 2013, is regarded as a classic example of comical enforcement of fastidious language policy. Their attempt to change an Italian restaurant owner's menu to readpâtes instead of pasta was not only mocked by the world, but also caused much embarrassment to the ultra-sovereignist Marois government. This ultimately led to increased popular discontent against the Parti québécois and their eventual downfall. Nonetheless, OQLF inspectors are still on the beat today, scouring the city of the slightest language law infraction and dishing out irrelevant fines to offending businesses.
The infamous menu that sparked the Pastagate controversy
To its credit, however, there's more to the Office than just language policing. In a similar vein to the French Academy, they also oversee the quality and propriety of the French language in Quebec, providing free resources such as Le grand dictionnaire terminologique and the Banque de dépannage linguistique, the Quebec equivalent of the Canadian government's TERMIUM Plus terminology and linguistic data bank. Considering the widespread use of Anglicisms in everyday Quebec French (j'ai scrapé mon winshil et mes flasheurs), this aspect of the OQLF's function seems reasonable and even necessary, not only for the sake of the people but for the survival of the language itself. After all, Montreal is the second largest French-speaking city in the world, only second to Paris.
Since its mandate by the Charter of the French Language in 1977, the Office québécois de la langue française has enforced the French-speaking majority's right to be "informed and served in French." In the process, however, it has inadvertently earned a worldwide reputation for antagonizing businesses over language matters of extreme inconsequentiality, and has further isolated Quebec from the rest of Canada through its policy of cultural preservation. What the future holds for the OQLF is uncertain, but only time will tell if Quebec's language situation sees a major enough détente to dissolve the organization.
Image sources:
http://bilan.usherbrooke.ca/voutes/voute3/maitrescheznousquebec_1962.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/dH5s6iX.jpg
http://img.src.ca/2013/02/21/635x357/130221_vm9b1_menu-buonanotte_sn635.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/fr/thumb/e/e7/Oqlf_logo.svg/478px-Oqlf_logo.svg.png
http://www.infopresse.com/Uploads/images/Article/Body/sugar_sammy_bill1.jpg
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordecai_Richler
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_québécois_de_la_langue_française
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh_Canada!_Oh_Quebec!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastagate
http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/demographer-argues-oqlf-not-needed-because-french-is-not-threatened-1.1823421
http://www.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/index.html
http://www2.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/dynamicSearch/telecharge.php?type=2&file=/C_11/C11_A.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxeQpGasEME (4:22 mark)
]]>The evolvement of translation in Montreal has an intriguing history, featuring some amusing anecdotes pertaining to the evolution of the city`s first "dragomans". And it is important to note that being bilingual is not at all equivalent to being a quality translator; nor is it necessarily conducive to it, especially in the context of Montreal.
Put simply, when two languages overlap as much as English and French do in Montreal, there is plenty of room for such insidious things as calques, anglicisms and gallicisms (to name but a few) to creep in and yield negative impact on the quality of a translation. The usage of certain terms is always a bone of contention among language practitioners. For example, some of the first famous French-Canadian translators and interpreters would often "accuse" each other of using random anglicisms! That, however, did not at all mean that some of them were less professional than others; rather, it is testimony to the presence of a continuous anglo-franco fusion dating back to the dawn of the translation industry in Montreal.
]]>Historical Highlights
Official translation in Canada dates back to the XVIII century. Its first stage was inaugurated, in 1710, by the launch of parliementary debates on Parliament Hill, starting off after the Confederation. Initially, there were few linguistic reference works and no automated translation tools to work with, which practically left the early artisans of translation with a whole host of items whose foundations were yet to be laid.
Up until the centralization of translation services (1867-1934), crowned by the creation of the Translation Bureau, the sphere of translation was going through what many consider its "golden age"; Hector Carbonneau, who was the head of the General Translation Services for over thirty years, came up with the apt qualification. The "golden age" of translation in Canada implies the initial stage in the development of the domain, wherein translators were not numerous and knew each other fairly well, which generated an intimate atmosphere for tranquil collaboration. The vast majority of them were French Canadians who would meet up at various events organized by literary, cultural and professional companies.
It is fair to note that, Quebec, within Canada, has always been in a privileged position in terms of translating. Canada`s bilingualism secures translators a really well-established market; and that is due primarily to two factors: the creation of the Translation Bureau in 1934 and the adoption of the Charter of the French Language in 1976. The former was set up to serve the purposes of all federal ministries; the latter was meant to assure the primacy of the French language in Quebec (in advertising, education and the professional environment). Federal government departments need to translate everything, and three quarters of the overall translation is done into French. What that means is that, since 17% of all translation in the country is done within the public sector and all federal documentation must officially be translated into French, translators are not short of work most of the time. In Quebec, whenever a foreign company wants to establish itself within the local market, it has to work in French, which leads to hiring translators.
The First Artisans of Translation
The first translators were primarily men and women of letters; and those who practised literary translation, in particular, did so mainly to perfect their writing skills - literary translation has always been considered a writing prep par excellence. Interestingly, since religious issues were in the air at the time, those people were often either ardent believers, indomitable atheists or fierce anticlericalists. Their ideological views were thus very different. That, however, did not prevent them from getting together for the sake of professional interest. Although some of them did not have the best of relationships, those erudites constituted quite a homogenous circle of translators, marked by a harmonious co-existence.
The first instances of official translation are found in Ottawa. Thus, the first notable figures of the initial translation "wave" mainly enaged in parliamentary and administrative paperwork.The better part of the first translators were professional writers, poets and journalists whose creativity ignited the literary and cultural life in the capital. In the same breath, Ottawa owes them the development of its professional life which they significantly contributed to: the first two associations of translators, the Cercle des traducteurs des livres bleus (1919) and the Association technologique de langue française d`Ottawa (1920) as well as the foundation of the first translation courses were set up by the linguistic and literary elite of the time.
On the other hand, evidence has it that linguistic issues would sometimes still cause translators to exchange quite pungent remarks, which, by the by, proved their sharp wit and nimble perception. For instance, famous Quebec writer and journalist Rodolph Girard would once have a minor altercation with another, not less famous, author and translator Pierre Daviault as regards anglicisms. The former got accused by the latter of using an anglicism in his speech: "My dear fellow, you are committing an anglicism." - "I would like you to know, my learned colleague, that I know my French." - "Your French? Obviously. But it`s standard French you should know ." Ironically, that same Pierre Daviault, whose repartee was, no doubt, brilliant, was once also taken down a peg or two by his another colleague whom he had the imprudence to pick upon. It was translator Ernest Plante, who retorted with a quick-witted rejoinder to Daviault`s pointing out that he had used a rare word: "The dictionary indicates that the word you used in your translation is rare." - "I know; that`s why I rarely use it." Apparently, those translators were nothing short of witty!
On the Cusp
That funny anecdote showcasing translation professionals getting under each other`s skin for the sake of linguistic accuracy speaks volumes about the omnipresence of the fine line separating French from English in the context of Quebec. But what about Montreal? This city is not only bilingual - it is hugely cosmopolitan, which rightly sets it apart from the rest of Quebec. On the one hand, the mutual influence of English and French in Montreal goes as far as to have anglophones and francophones not only use anglicisms and gallicisms respectively in their speech and writing but also, importantly, copy each other`s grammar and syntax. On the other hand, Montreal teems with numerous multi-national and multi-cultural groups which, in some way, shape the city`s inner structure and might also influence the way English and French are used. To top it all, representatives of those groups also often engage in translation studies, bringing in new colours and shades to the process of language transfer. How obnoxious can all those factors be for translation, wherein each language must, by definition, be void of any incongruent admixtures from other languages?
Of course, it is fair to note that within the linguistic community of Montreal, specifically, a translation of, say, instructions, containing anglicisms, gallicisms or structures that are grammatically correct as such but do not really sound English to anglophones and French to francophones may be tolerable - locals, being, for the most part, bilingual will not have difficulty understanding the message (what they will think of such a translation, if they happen to be grammarians, is another thing, though). On the contrary, should the English translation of a certain document travel to the U.S. or England, for example, and the French one to France or southern Belgium, the company having produced them will most likely miss the mark. Mixed-up structures and turns of phrase are faulty and awkward and language-literate readers are in their full right to regard them as mistakes and, well, lambaste them.
"Mistakes are probably not something you strive for. Some mistranslations are funny, while others are viewed as rude, inconsiderate or just downright offensive and unprofessional. It's all about image - and people want to buy from a company that has a positive one. So it stands to reason that if your organization comes off as unprofessional, inadequate or a joke, your customers may decide to take their business elsewhere. Don't make your company the punch line or the enemy by publishing less than perfect translations or not doing your research. After all - a mistake that people notice can mean unwelcome and embarrassing attention." (www.sajan.com/translation-quality-why-you-cant-afford-any-mistakes).
To illustrate some of the most common French-to-English translation snares and pitfalls, particularly waylaying translators working within a bilingual community (like that of Montreal), it is easiest to just cite the most wide-spread examples of the so-called false friends (faux amis), which can also be regarded as anglicisms or gallicisms in certain cases. Let`s consider, say, "intervention" - the word`s spelling is absolutely identical in both English and French. However, translating "intervention" from French, a good translator will scarcely ever use the word`s homonymous counterpart in English. In French, "intervention" has a number of meanings and is used literally everywhere in government documentation; it is part of the vocabulary often referred to as "officialese".
If you look it up in a bilingual dictionary, you will find "intervention" in English as the first direct equivalent of the French "intervention": http://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais-anglais/intervention/43810.However, even in the examples provided by the dictionary, you can clearly see that the translation of the word in context turns out different and has other equivalents in English - "intervention" can thus also be translated by "speech", "statement", "contribution", "investment" or "participation" depending on the context. Notwithstanding that variety of choice, a lot of anglophone translators whose English linguistic resources are "overpowered" by French often do not render the semantic nuances that may be absent in the French version but must be inferred from context and reflected in the English one.
Funnily enough, non-native speakers often have the upper hand over native-speakers in terms of grammatical and syntactic accuracy - if they did not learn English and French in Montreal, of course. At home, they usually learn the standard version of a foreign language, uncontaminated, so to speak, with pests of language that loanwords and calques can be. Not to forget that they might be somewhat influenced by their own language, though; but still, they are often more alarmed to the grammaticality of a language that is foreign to them - native speakers tend to take their language for granted. Why? Because it is their mother tongue and they, naturally, feel like they are in the position to take liberties with it. Sometimes those liberties may lead to innovative language forms that enrich the language and take it a couple of steps further as regards versatility and flexibility; oftentimes, however, they result in illiterate distortions which are so deleterious for the language of the younger generation who momentarily absorb incorrect forms and use them ignorantly as if they were the opposite. Everyone makes mistakes. And they may even be pardonnable to most; less so for translators, though. Remember Pierre Daviault and company? There you go....
Sources:
www.tradulex.com/articles/Cohen.pdf
www.sajan.com/translation-quality-why-you-cant-afford-any-mistakes
]]>By Alix Fraser
Visit any of Montreal's bustling markets and you'll hear a rich mix of languages unlike nearly anywhere else in Canada. Citizens of the city often boast bi- and trilingual knowledge, slipping in and out of their languages with ease. For monolingual residents, be they new Anglophone students, immigrants, young Francophones, or otherwise, the multilingual climate can be intimidating.
Though formal classes are offered at schools and centres all over the city, the best way to learn a new language is with hands-on experience. In a multilingual climate like Montreal's, all is not lost for those of us seemingly stuck in our monolingual funk. Learning a second language is an invaluable asset in today's connected world.
There are dozens of groups created for the sole purpose of giving new language learners a chance to practice their skills and stretch their conversational skills. The biggest practice group in Montreal is Le MEETUP de conversation Français-Anglais, boasting more than 6,380 members and over eight years of history.
]]> **Le MEETUP was founded in 2006 and changed hands in 2008. Daniel Picard, the current leader, took over when the founder left Montreal. Though he only meant to lead Le MEETUP temporarily, the group was addicting, and so he stayed.
Daniel Picard, leader of Le MEETUP
"I wanted to make it a place where people can come to learn, brush off and improve their French and English mastery in a cozy, relax and friendly atmosphere," he says, noting that while the classroom is a great place to start, it's very far away from the real world.
Daniel's own experiences taught him that; while his high school education trained him in English basics, is was an immersed setting while attending UOttawa that gave him confident fluency. It's driven him in leading the group, as he knows how important a social environment is to give support, and says "if you can have fun doing it, it is always a nice perk to have."
In the beginning, Le MEETUP was fairly small. "At the time I took over, attendance was about 10 - 15 people per Meetup session," Daniel says, and the group gradually grew from there. As language schools recommended the group to their students, Meetup sessions grew to an average of 80 - 90 people twice a week. Though Le MEETUP has kept the bi-weekly format, they've capped each session at 60 attendees to preserve conversation quality. Members RSVP their attendance, and meet up with others in a cafe selected by the group organizer.
**
Le MEETUP's sessions are very casual. Attendees sit at a table of 5 - 6 people speaking either French or English and simply make conversation. There are no specific topics, as Daniel says they "do prefer to preserve a laid back and friendly atmosphere," and that trying to impose topics in the past didn't work very well.
A group of Le MEETUP participants practice English in a casual cafe setting
In addition to attendees looking to learn, the group has people designated as a "helper/aidant". Most are native Anglo- or Francophones, and they aid people in improving their skills. The goal is to have one helper per table, and Daniel notes that "any additional helpers would be always welcome."
Though it can be hard to keep a balance on the number of French and English speakers, Daniel notes that most of the members coming to brush up in one language "are ready to jump on the other side and become an helper as well." This is where Le MEETUP finds its success--in a team of committed and passionate helpers and a casual setting.
**
The group prides itself in being a step for new Canadians in integrating into Canadian culture. "If you do want to make sure they go through a good social integration process and join our ranks as Canadian Citizens, you do have to make sure they have a good mastery of both official languages," Daniel says. The sessions, as they are set in busy cafes, get noisy, but that's another step in the learning process--the practice is in real time, in real life contexts.
For many participants, formal language classes haven't helped all that much in real world settings. One of the group's helpers, Fred, is multilingual, but he only had been taught Parisian French before coming to Montreal. In his six years of attendance, the immersive setting has helped him communicate in Quebecois French where his formal training hadn't.
Diego and Silvia discuss formal classes and casual learning
Other group members agree that formal language classes aren't quite enough. Claudia, a participant from Columbia, says that the meetings are more helpful in learning English. Another participant, Silvia, stresses that both formal and casual training are important, and two others--Diego and Miguel--says that while the courses are needed for grammar, immersive settings like Le MEETUP are more important. You need to speak to learn the language, from Diego's experience, and it needs to be fun.
Another benefit of attending Le MEETUP sessions is increased confidence. Diego came to Canada from Columbia, and speaking to others learning English as well as native speakers has helped him lose his fear of speaking as he's become more fluent. Claudia and Miguel echo this sentiment.
Le MEETUP also provides an important social connection for people who may be new to the city. The makeup of the group is multicultural, so there are chances to meet people from all over the world. In the words of one participant, you learn through the eyes other people in settings like this. New Montrealers can find it hard to make friends if they aren't in college, but Le MEETUP helps forge new friendships.
**
With political tensions in the province always at the forefront with language, it's more important than ever for Montreal residents, new or old, to embrace bilingualism. Communication on all fronts is important in a city boasting such a large multilingual population, and being bilingual can help break down cultural doors. Richard Bourhis, a diversity researcher for UQAM, said that "Quebec Anglophones are bilingual and they are the inter-cultural brokers, the inter-lingual brokers who help new immigrants not only learn about Quebec and integrate but understand the necessity of learning French."
Learning a second (or third, or more) language benefits you personally, too. Becoming multilingual could mean having a nimbler, better brain. You have a better chance of being hired, and once you've got the job, being bilingual means having a better chance of being promoted over monolingual employees.
**
The success of Le MEETUP has led to a few people suggesting that they turn it into a real register business. "However, we've never really thought it that way," says Daniel. "For us, we are seeing more our involvement like a hobby than a business. This is our own social contribution to a multicultural city such as Montreal." They have, however, added tutoring sessions to their group's activities.
Stanley Aléong helps organize tutoring sessions with the group
Daniel's co-organizer, Stanley Aléong, gives the special lessons in both English and French on the weekends at a different location before the cafe sessions. Stanley is a published and experienced language tutor interested in the social aspect of language learning. His workshops add a structured compliment to the more casual meetings. Each session, Stanley sets a theme and corrects participants as they learn. One of Stanley's themes was idioms using animal names; even in Le MEETUP's more formal sessions, the focus is on conversational language.
As for the future of Le MEETUP, Daniel says "We are taking it on a day-to-day basis and as long as we will be having fun doing it, we'll still be around!"
Multiple bilingual conversation groups exist, such as Concordia's Jazz-ons and Les Midis francophones. Le MEETUP is the largest, but there are gatherings of people looking to swap small talk in multiple languages in coffee shops all over the city. Some are formal, some are casual, but they all have one thing in common: you'll enjoy learning far more than you would in any classroom.
Le MEETUP de conversation Français-Anglais meets Wednesdays and Saturdays, with language workshops on Saturday and Sunday.
Works Cited
Kluger, Jeffrey. "How the Brain Benefits From Being Bilingual | TIME.com." TIME. 18 July 2013. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://science.time.com/2013/07/18/how-the-brain-benefits-from-being-bilingual/>.
"Le MEETUP De Conversation Français-Anglais." Meetup. 25 Apr. 2006. Web. 8 Feb. 2015. <http://www.meetup.com/FrenchEnglishMontreal/>.
Plante, Caroline. "Help! French Is Losing Ground, SSJB Tells Committee Hearings." Global News. 5 Feb. 2015. Web. 8 Feb. 2015. <http://globalnews.ca/news/1814331/help-french-is-losing-ground-ssjb-tells-committee-hearings/>.
"Practice." Oui Can Help. 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. <http://www.concordia.ca/students/oui-can-help/practice.html>.
]]>It goes without saying that learning a foreign language, like practically any other cognitive experience, falls into two categories: obtaining the necessary theoretical knowledge and putting all the acquired material into practice, ideally, combining the two all along. While most mentally healthy people may have no or little difficulty mastering the first part, they may find the second one a trifle trickier - especially if they are not surrounded by the language as they are learning it. Furthermore, practising a language may be quite a stumbling block even if you are surrounded by native speakers. That is the case if you spend most of your time within your family or a close circle of friends, who all belong to the same ethinicity as yourself, and spend far less time among representatives of the country you have come to. As a result, you may feel uncomfortable and lacking self-confidence when you have to speak in the presence of native speakers, albeit your theoretical linguistic knowledge and lexical arsenal are second to none.
Also, it is important to note that what you learn in theory might well at least slightly differ from the way native speakers express themselves in reality. Accent, word choice, and other minor nuance-related language peculiarities inherent in the speech of natives of the region you have come to may turn out to be different to the ones you have come across earlier. The linguistic adjustment can thus be quite puzzling.
]]> This instruction set will provide you with some of the most efficient guidelines on how to untwist your tongue and overcome the unpleasant anxiety experienced when getting to speak a foreign language irregularly and/or struggling with a foreign accent.Note: The guide is intended for people with a very good command of written English and who wish to bridge certain minor gaps they might have in oral expression (in English or any other language which is not their mother tongue).
1. Keep calm when speaking
Caution: Hasty speech can result in silly mistakes and blur the overall quality of your oral expression.
Caution: You risk losing your train of thought when shifting your attention to a mistake you have made. The rest of your speech may come out as stuttering and unconvincing and generate even more of awkward wording.
2. Think, but not too hard
Caution: You may end up sounding affected and pretentious, which will turn off your interlocutors.
Tip: Remember that ideas swarm inside of your head but you should only pick one or two of them per sentence to stay coherent. Otherwise you risk giving your speech poor and unclear wording.
Important: Depending on how advanced the level of your language is, you may need to mentally translate a phrase from your mother tongue to the language that is foreign to you. Take your time to do it. You will unlikely fare well with unconsidered blurting.
Caution: Ruminating one idea for too long before mouthing it may result in awkward pausing during your speech and negatively affect the dialogue with your partner.
3. Do not panic if you are at a loss for a word
4. Do not be ashamed to come across as a non-native speaker
Important: Pretense of being a native speaker can make you agonize over the slightest mistake or accidental loss of the correct intonation.
Caution: When emulating, you may distort the way natives pronounce words and yield negative impact on the quality of your speech.
Tip: Give yourself time to adopt a new accent. Do not stress out.
Tip: Many native speakers can be less grammatically precise than non-native speakers. If they happen to twist this or that expression, do not give up its correct version just for the sake of speaking "like" a native.
Caution: Grammatical mistakes may be pardonnable to native speakers but are most likely to be picked upon when made by non-natives (at a job interview, at school, etc.).
Important: Self-confidence in speaking a foreign language with native speakers equals doing the demolition job on your fearing their linguistic superiority.
5. Get into the habit of speaking the foreign language to yourself
Tip: Look up words you have difficulty translating in a bilingual dictionary and memorize them. That will later help you talk on casual topics without thinking in the presence of native speakers.
Important: Keep language training regular.
6. Do your best to incorporate local expressions, idioms, etc. into your speech
Important: You will feel a lot more self-confident dropping a couple of such expressions into a conversation. Also, you will feel more integrated into the new society whose language you have decided to adopt.
Caution: Make sure to double-check whether or not that detail has officially been approved and is actually correct.
Important: Untwisting your tongue goes hand in hand with getting the most familiar possible with the way native speakers frame in reality what you have learned in theory.
]]>(Image courtesy of https://mangolanguages-com-wp-content.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/24570981.jpg)
If you live in Montreal and don't speak French, you've probably wanted to pick it up sometime but for whatever reason, never did. Whether it's for professional or social reasons, knowing French in Montreal can go a long way, and learning it doesn't have to be as hard as it's made out to be. This 10-step instruction guide outlines the basic habits and tasks that are essential to learning French (or any language for that matter), which applies across the board to individuals of any learning style or level of language proficiency.
]]> 1. Understand that learning a new language is like getting into the habit of exercise after a lengthy period of inertia. Unless you have a clearly defined objective and your motivation to succeed is greater than your fear of pain or failure, chances of quitting early on are very high.2. Identify the SMART criteria of your goal.
3. Lose your ego (i.e. accept that you might be bad at first, or even after months). Many times people will take on a difficult task and say "I can't do this" or "I'm not smart enough" because it hurts their pride less to justify their own failure by admitting that they suck. You cannot get better until you fail.
4. Gather the necessary resources, such as grammar books, dictionaries etc. A vast amount of information can be found for free in libraries or online through a simple Google search.
5. Plan your study method and schedule according to your strengths, needs and constraints, and stick to them.
Alternatively, sign up for a course at a university, community centre or sessions from a private tutor.
6. Expose yourself to French media (music, television, movies, news). Listening is one of the most important aspects of communication which is the fundamental purpose of language. Luckily, this step can be done in your downtime so there's no excuse not to do it.
7. Integrate your learning into your daily life in any way you can (e.g. identify objects you see in French, try practicing what you know any time you go out in public). This step requires the most effort as it forces you out of your comfort zone, but it is equally the most crucial one to your progress.
8. Make as many mistakes as possible! Making awful, embarrassing mistakes that haunt your memory will ensure that you don't repeat the same ones in the future.
9. Have fun with it! Learning a language should be enjoyable, not dreadful. If you find yourself getting frustrated, take a break and try again in a more positive state of mind.
10. Repeat steps 5 to 9 until your desired level of fluency is achieved. Keep in mind step 3 throughout the process of working towards this goal, which will minimize stress and negativity. It is highly recommended to brush up on your skills every now and then in order for your learning to stay fresh in your mind.
]]>So you've decided to leave English Canada and settle down in Quebec. Congratulations! Quebec is a province of diverse food, people, and culture. You know you'll love it here, but there's a snag: you don't speak French (yet). Unfortunately, it'll take a while for you to get a hang of the language. All those things that can go wrong in your new apartment might not wait for you to know how to string more than three words together. At some point, you'll probably have to jump that language barrier and communicate with your francophone maintenance worker.
Not to worry! Here is a handy guide for you to pull this off without a hitch:
]]>Getting in contact
This is one of the most difficult steps. You can't just phone them and say, "Hey, my apartment's fridge is broken," because they'll just answer with "pardon?" and you'll get nowhere. You'll need a go-between.
Option 1: Talk to your landlord. If you managed to communicate enough to sign your lease, they probably speak at least a little English. They're also there to help you, so you should be able to just ask.
Option 2: Recruit a neighbour. You live in Quebec now! At least one of your neighbours will speak French and English. Unlike your landlord, however, you aren't paying them rent, so you may need to bring along a bribe. I recommend baked goods.
Relaying the problem
Hopefully, you sent your go-between along with at least a little description of the problem. Either way, you're going to have to try to communicate with the worker about what's going on in your apartment, and you'll need to do it around that pesky language barrier.
Option 1: Gather some visual aids. Get out your pencils and draw what you need done. Hey, it can't be that hard, right? The references are right in front of you. They'll totally be able to tell your sketch is of a broken fridge.
Option 2: Employ Google translate. Sure, it's not perfect, but it isn't always complete gibberish, right? If you keep your sentences short, at least something should be useful to them. Hopefully.
Clarifying the problem
Okay, so maybe you weren't so clear. Between your go-between and your visual or literary masterpiece, your maintenance worker should have something of an idea of what to do, but they're probably still confused. Let's try again.
Option 1: Try to explain slowly. Try throwing in what French words you do know and slowly and carefully enunciate your English. Maybe they know just enough English to figure out what you're trying to say.
Option 2: Redraw your visual aid. It wasn't that bad! You can get it this time! Look, see, that's the fridge and that's the freezer.
Playing "Language Barrier Charades"
Alright, this isn't working. Time to break out the big guns. You need physical demonstrations.
Option 1: Use body language. You took a drama class in high school, you've got this. Make big gestures towards where the problem is and mime what sort of repairs are needed. They'll get it.
Option 2: Round up some props. Use whatever you have around to aid in your charades. Actually, just use the broken object in question. Maybe you should have started with that.
Thanking the worker
Phew! Finally. You've got the message across and the repairs are finished. All that's left is to thank your friendly (and patient) maintenance worker.
Option 1: Give them a hug. Everyone likes hugs, right? Well, maybe not if they're coming from someone they can't communicate with. Do some charades to get your intentions across first.
Option 2: Speak French. Hey! They just put up with your anglophone scrambling to communicate. The least you can do is to try saying thank you in French. Thank you is "bonsoir", right?
Sessional lecturer
Co-ordinator of Undergraduate translation programs, Graduate Diploma in translation and Graduate Certificate in language localization
Academic advisor (translation)
It was already dark outside when I entered Madame Marcoux's office at Concordia. I had come about five minutes earlier than agreed, paused before coming in, and, bracing my energies (it was my first ever interview!), slid into the frame of the door - it was wide open. Madame Marcoux was at her computer, tapping out some instructions to a student. Evidently, she was hurrying up - she knew I was about to come. Slightly startled at my knocking politely on the open door, she told me to come in and close the door behind me. As I was settling back into a chair taking out my elaborate Q & A notes, she let out some words of obvious irritation about her slow computer. Embarrassed, she pointed out that I had come a little bit earlier anyway, so I could excuse her taking time to finish off her interactions with the student. I felt a bit confused - I did not want to make her feel uncomfortable about it - so I just told her to take her time. I knew perfectly well how important the feedback she was giving could be to that student. Taking advantage of the minutes I had to wait, I observed the office. It was not too big, nor small, but, what I liked the most about it was its part where a wooden book cabinet stood. It was literally packed with numerous reference books, dictionaries, thesauri, and other language-related tomes. What stood out to me in the first place was, naturally, the bulky but priceless 'Le Petit Robert'. You could easily tell you were in the realm of a translator. At last, Madame Marcoux turned off the computer, turned to me in her chair and we started. I was later amazed at how full and detailed her answers were. Indeed, her French was beautifully smooth and coherent, she was by far one of the most articulate people I had ever heard talk. In the streets of Montreal, you rarely have the chance to come across a native speaker who does as much justice to the beauty of the French language as this woman does.
]]> What inspired you to become a translator?The love of writing, of written language.
Of written language in the first place?
Yes. I consider translation to be a written-language practice, which is primarily that of first-hand professional editing. One great translation theoretician once said that the most distinctive feature of translation is that it is a kind of reading that is given across writing. So I honestly think that it is first and foremost the love of written language that inspired me. However, I have to say that I only have a Doctor`s degree in translation. As an educational background, I have a Bachelor`s and Master`s degrees in Spanish literature and not in translation which I never had any special training for. Funnily enough, I became a translator by way of a learning-by-doing process.
Interesting! Did you bear any other professions in mind before making your final decision?
Frankly speaking, I never actually had any special carrier-related plans nor valued any particular profession over others in a determined way. I loved learning and knew for sure that I was going to study for quite a while. Also, being a woman of letters in the first place, I always found that literature was a privileged means of exploring the world. That being said, I would say that it was my desire to discover things by means of school and learning that guided me in my professional choices rather than craving for a successful carrier. On the contrary, I have always suffered from a shortage of clearly defined carrier objectives! Still, being a professional translator exacts indeed a wide range of general knowledge related to various fields; and since my general-knowledge base is pretty miscellaneous, someone of my profile can make a good translator.
The following question is more about Québec. Without a doubt, you grew up in Québec which is a true melting-pot of various languages and cultures, and the topic of bilingualism has definitely concerned you in this or that way. According to you, is the linguistic and cultural situation in the province an advantage or a disadvantage?
Well. First of all, I feel that it is important to note that Québec`s official, public language is French. This province is not bilingual even though Montreal itself is indeed very cosmopolitan and the English language serves as the major language of communication to immigrants. However, Montreal is the world`s second francophone city after Paris. If you move beyond Montreal, you will notice the dramatic difference in terms of language. Outside Montreal, people speak French. When it comes to me, I am from Lévis, the region close to the city of Québec, where the population is very homogenous - they do not speak English. I always encourage my students to explore the parts of Québec that lie outside Montreal. Besides, we are here at Concordia, an anglophone university! Should you study at the University of Montreal or at that of Québec, your impression that Montreal is a bilingual city will literally fade away. It is true that, unfortunately, the majority of immigrants use more English than French to communicate with us. However, it is fair to note that we, as Québec francophone speakers, are in large part responsible for this situation. We are oftentimes the first ones to switch to English as soon as we realize that we are talking to an allophone who needs to take some time to formulate their thoughts in French. Personally, I never do that! I am very happy and always very touched that some people have chosen to settle in my neck of the woods and learn my language. Therefore, I consider it my responsibility to speak French with them. And English is my third language, by the way. My second language is Spanish. So my English is pretty poor, probably that of tourists! Well, naturally, I am exaggerating but still... If I compare my English skills to what I have mastered in French and Spanish, I will go as far as say that English is my poor cousin! So coming back to your question, I would like to point out again that Québec is unilingual and francophone. Nowhere outside Montreal do they speak English as much as they do here. And that is because this city is cosmopolitan and not because it is bilingual. That being said, however, I think that deliberate resistance to learning languages other than French has to do with a form of mental retardation or something! One should, of course, learn English not least because it is the second official language of Canada and because, at the moment, it is the the lingua franca of the XXI century - English fulfils the function of Latin during the Renaissance. As for the role of French in Québec, Gilles Vigneault had this to say: "To say 'welcome', one needs to have a household - the household is the French language." And I am very happy to welcome everyone to my household.
It is true that the minute people figure out you are a foreigner, they start speaking English with you, which is disappointing.
Exactly. And some allophones and Anglophones, to whom I sometimes teach a course of intermediary-advanced French, complain to me that they often feel very confused but are too polite to point out to some Francophones, who speak English to them, that they have come to Montreal to learn and practice French, not English. Furthermore, those Francophones speak very bad English, which disappoints students even more. Therefore, in my classes, I make them think that I do not speak English so that they always speak in French with me!
They do not have a choice!
They do not have a choice, haha!
Technically speaking, what kind of method of teaching a second language do you endorse?
Hm. I know that there exists a plethora of different methods of teaching French as a second language... But it is not my specialization - I am not a specialist in didactics as to teaching French as a second language. So my answer is going to be limited to the little experience I got working here and teaching principally French composition, linguistic interferences of French with English, and the process of editing and proofreading translations. However, as I started out here, at Concordia, I had the chance to teach French as a second language for some time, and every time I would teach the exact same subject to students, my colleagues would come up with the idea of changing the method, which I found exhausting. As for me, specialists in didactics have invented a load of great oral- and written-communication-oriented methods, they are pretty much exhaustive. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. I would say that for me, there is no perfect method of teaching a foreign language. I am convinced that how successful your students learn depends in large part upon the pedagogic skills a teacher shows in the classroom. You have to be able to adjust the content of your teaching strategy to the strengths and weaknesses of your group of students. Doing so will help you create classroom conditions favorable to fruitful learning. Speaking specifically of French, I think that any method of teaching it, however perfect it is, is still incomplete in so far as learning a language comprises not only learning its grammar and vocabulary but also, importantly, immerging in the culture representative of it. And that is indeed a great challenge regardless of the kind of language you want to learn. Whether it be Spanish, German or Russian - the mechanisms are going to be the same. One should really make a great deal of efforts in the beginning, immerging completely within a particular culture, and that has little to do with teaching methods, I guess. I have to say that, as regards teaching French here in North America, a lot of teaching methods we use at Concordia are often based on the European teaching content which is often very chauvinistically Parisian - we are against it. To illustrate, here in Montreal, we buy metro tickets or use our OPUS cards and do not compost our train tickets, which they do in France, or else, we use the metro and do not have a HST (TGV). So it has been a couple years now since we decided to adjust the content of our textbooks to local realities to avoid confusion among learners. That effectively helps students who have chosen a city like Montreal to study French situate themselves in the North-American reality.
Did you learn Spanish in a Hispanic environment or did you learn it without having been surrounded by native speakers?
Good question. I started to learn Spanish at the Lévi-Lauzon Cégep more than 40 years ago. I had a professor from Québec who had a friend of Chilean origin and had thus greatly mastered the language. After the coup d`état of 1973 in Chile, Chilean political refugees were the first Hispanics to come and settle in Québec. And that moved me a lot. I would say that it was primarily ideological reasons that brought me to the Spanish language. I do not really know where I get that from but ever since I was a little girl, Spain has always been a country that has attracted me. I would read a lot about Spain. Thus, as I was gradually discovering its culture and its history, I was getting more and more motivated to learn Spanish. But, to start off, I learnt it in Lévis, in a francophone milieu with an excellent teacher. Straight after my college studies, however, I did leave for Spain to study there for a year and when I got back, I left again, but this time for Central America, as part of a cooperative program. So, yes, I started by acquiring the rudiments of the Spanish language in a very academic way at home and then I complemented my linguistic acquisition during my stay abroad. And after I finally returned to Canada, I completed my Bachelor`s degree in Spanish studies and obtained my Master afterwards. To sum up, I can say that the two learning experiences, both at home and abroad, have proved beneficial.
Describe in a few words the beginning of your carrier as a translator.
Well, sure. I started taking my first faltering steps in translation within the committee of Québec Solidarity. It was a committee located in the city of Québec and whose objective was strengthening relations with Latin America. So they had an enormous body of documentation to be translated from Spanish into French and I enrolled there as a volunteer. That is how it all started! I cut my teeth translating manifests and also some training documentation. There was a group called "The Fifth World" which was a small non-profit organization promoting and protecting women`s rights. Then again, they had a lot of documentation for translation. Sometimes when they received people from Latin America, I even worked as an interpreter. But all that was not in the very beginning, by that time I had already left cégep. And after I got back from Spain, I continued my rather political activities within those organizations. I once even worked as an interpreter for one of Che Guevara`s daughters!
Wow! That is incredible! And that point brings forth the following question. According to your CV, you also worked as an interpreter for a while. So, how was it?
Indeed. I did that a couple times for the government of Québec. As I have said, I am from the city of Québec where people are not perfectly bilingual or trilingual. Québec often has missions in Latin America or, vice versa, it hosts people from there. So the government of Québec often needs an interpreter. But my work as an interpreter has been quite irregular. For instance, I have worked for certain ministries, at Laval University at the Department of Anthropology - they would receive a lot of researchers, historians and other important figures of Hispanic origin - I would interpret for them as well. But that kind of work was never enough for me to earn my living - it was too irregular. And still I adored it! It is very difficult, like the Olympic Games of spirit, for all I know!
How did you manage to 'untwist' your tongue, to control the way you spoke during an interpretation? I am asking that because I am very interested in oral translation, specifically.
Well, yes. I think that, of course, you need to have rock-solid knowledge of the two languages that you are working with - that is the basis. However, that is not enough. You need to know the subject matter of a particular conference you are interpreting at perfectly well. You really need to get ready for it; if you do not know your subject, you will most likely do a poor job of interpreting. Well. When I worked as an interpreter for some Latin American militants, I had no problems - that was a part of the world I knew very well. I was very active at the time and, thus, had a lot of acquaintances keeping me abreast of what was going on in, say, Chile or Nicaragua. I had a very solid idea of the major political issues of the time - you know, you are reading the papers, watching news, listening to the radio. Besides, a lot of my friends were journalists. Still, however, I recall that, at some point, the government of Québec wanted to study the geomatic situation of a certain Latin American country that they aimed to establish a partnership with. Me, I did not have any clue whatsoever as to the sphere of geomatics! So, what I did was go straight on the site of the government of Québec to do some research related to the up-coming topic in order to prepare myself just as you did for this interview. So, coming back to your question... One needs to be really alert intellectually. I once had a student participating in a pedagogic session who came up to me and said she wanted to become an interpreter and asked me what she needed to do for that. So, here, in Canada, it is only the University of Ottawa that provides a special training for future interpreters; it is a very challenging program - there is only six to nine students chosen throughout Canada yearly.
So students are chosen on the basis of a competitive examination, aren't they?
Oh, yes, they are. The selection trial lasts for about a month. Besides, out of all those I have recommended for the program, there is only one person who has been accepted there - our former cooperative program student. And, naturally, when I learnt the exciting news from him, we just sat down and I was like: 'How is it all going?' Haha! And, in fact, he confirmed that the better part of the exam was focused on current events, on your knowledge of the world you live in, on Canadian political issues, etc. So, I told that girl, who was a pretty average student at the time but, nevertheless, wanted to become an interpreter, that, first of all, she had to obtain a Bachelor's degree in the specialization program of translation and that she had to be very, very strong in the sphere. "In the sphere" means being perfect not only at the two languages you are working with but also being highly perceptive of those languages` historical, social, and cultural aspects. Because, you know, sometimes people have a tendency toward going beyond their level of competence and thinking that speaking a foreign language fluently is actually equivalent to being a good interpreter. That is not exactly true. The quality of your interpretation hinges greatly upon your general knowledge of the world. I tell these things to students not to discourage them but because I really want to emphasize the importance of being intellectually alert at all times, which is understanding the world we live in, the history of ideas circulating, and where we are from, basically; one really needs to have a critical point of view as regards global and national issues - all that is of paramount importance to a future interpreter. Of course, there is probably a special training for interpreters out there, including special techniques for sight-reading, different memory exercises, and so on and so forth. But, just as with learning a second language, self-studying is your responsibility, not anybody else's; otherwise you will be no good for the work in question.
So, as far as I have understood, you have not really worked a lot as a translator.
That's it. I have barely worked as a professional technical translator. You have understood very well.
So, from the beginning, you wanted to work primarily as a teacher?
Neither. I wanted to have a baby! Haha! And I did have a baby at 25! After that, I was eager to continue studying all while bringing up my daughter. That is, in fact, what I did. I have really been very lucky all the way through: at university, I was a research assistant; then I became a lecturer... I am ultra-aware of how lucky I have been and I am really grateful for that. Sometimes I say to myself, even if today I were not sitting here in my office as a university prof, talking to you right now, and if I were talking to you as a coffee-seller at Tim Horton's, I would be just as happy. Haha!
That is super important! Now, you have worked at both the University of Montreal and Laval University. Finally, what brought you to an anglophone university?
Chance! At some point, there was a vacancy at Concordia and I applied and there we are! But it was so unexpected. As I have said earlier in the interview, I have never had any career-related plans but I have been really lucky. And in this particular case, I was very lucky because I was chosen. I am really fascinated by Concordia! I would not really want to teach anywhere else because, well, I know how it is at Laval University and at the UQAM. I also know the UdeM. So I do have some points of comparison! And I am really happy to work at Concordia because it is a university with a very representative population - it is like a microcosm, a melting pot of diversity wherein various influences and horizons cross over... I adore it!
Since you specialize in litterary translation, tell me, do you try to step into the author's shoes when translating a particular piece?
Well, of course! But not really as much into the author's shoes - I do not really care whether they are living or dead - as into the structure of their work, of the narrative voice so to speak. Otherwise... Personally, I do not translate things I do not like. Besides, I have already refused some advantageous contracts - there was something that did not work for me in terms of the things to be translated, they just left me cold.
What are your preferences in literature to be translated?
Hmm. I would not say that I have any generic preference - I have translated poetry, a couple novels... I would say that it is people who engage me to work for them that really matter and less what is to be translated. I am just in this lucky position where I can choose - I do not earn my living as a literary translator but as a professor at Concordia. So, I have the luxury of working uniquely with people who, I can tell, are really motivated for us to collaborate. Therefore, the starting point that determines my choice of text to work with is really people engaging me; by 'people' I mean any person that offers me a literary work, not necessarily its author albeit they may well be.
The following question is rather complex. Given the ever-increasing number of international marriages in the world and, specifically, here in Québec, the issue of languages and cultures is more and more often on the agenda. Do you think that it is important to preserve one's language and cultural roots within a family where the parents do not speak the same language and do not share the same cultural heritage? Or, do you think that one should get assimilated by one's husband's or wife's linguistic and cultural patrimony? And how, in your opinion, can one teach one's child both languages from the very first?
You are right - it IS a BIG question. It is complex because it has numerous aspects to it. And one cannot answer it in absolute terms. Besides, you have a worst interlocutor to give you an answer to it because I grew up in a unilingual francophone family - genealogically speaking, there were no Anglophones in my family in many generations preceding mine; nor had we ever been surrounded by any. But, your question makes me think about my good old friend from secondary school who has lived in Spain for 25 years now. She speaks perfect French, English, and Spanish, but her husband is a unilingual Hispanic. So when they had kids, they made a very unanimous and well-though-out decision that the children would also learn French. And indeed, since the kids did not go to daycare - in Spain they do not really have daycare - and before they went to school, she managed to teach them some French. Moreover, every summer they would come to Québec and spend two months here. The children would always speak French with their mother, Spanish with their father and, when all together, they would speak Spanish because her husband's French is not adequate. However, in spite of all that, at some point, the kids started to attend a Spanish school, which gradually caused their French to shade off completely. And her sons, who are now in their early twenties, understand French but barely speak it because they are ashamed of their heavy Spanish accent. So, personally, I think that, of course, the human objective should be to preserve as much diversity as possible but there must not be any fight for dominance between a man and woman who decide to have a family together. I believe that the majority of men and women who get married and love each other are willing to share everything including their linguistic patrimonies. And that is good. However, you know it better than me, sooner or later children leave home. You cannot bring them up in complete isolation from the outer world - they leave home, they make friends, they go to school. So, all that can interfere - not in the bad sense of the word, though - and somewhat confuse the issue. How many young Francophones have come to learn English all while playing with their anglophone friends outdoors? Many of them have attended francophone schools, everyone in their families speaks French but, oops... at some point, they start playing in English because their friends speak this language. So that is extremely important.
So, there must necessarily be something that will, at some point, stimulate kids to learn a certain language. It may be people around them and not necessarily their parents.
Exactly. So, that friend of mine, Sylvie, she never lost that motivation to make her sons learn French but, the thing is, the fact that they live in Spain has taken over that objective. Now, she speaks mostly Spanish with them - there is no one, other than herself and her sons, who understands French. Their house is often full of friends who are all Hispanic - it would be insulting for someone who does not understand the language to hear others speak it in their presence. So, that would simply be considered impolite. Naturally, I think that one should do one's best to preserve one's mother tongue within an international family but that is not that easy.
At what point of your life did you decide that you wanted to share your knowledge with the younger generation of future translators?
I think that I have always enjoyed the process of transmission. During my years in Central America, where I spent almost 4 years, in Nicaragua, I was even involved in some theatre productions with kids - that was already a kind of transmission! I think that I have always been very open to others, hence my passion for foreign languages. I have always loved travelling, I started travelling very young and all those experiences, probably like yours, were an initiatory means of self-discovery outside of my home. At school, I loved learning a lot... When you go to school for a long time like I did, you learn what makes a good prof and a bad prof. And when, one day, you find yourself in a classroom in front of students, you really try to be as good as possible! Haha! At least, not too bad... There is something very gratifying in teaching, and demanding as well. I very quickly became responsible for the translation programs here at Concordia and, after Chantal, the previous co-op organizer, left, I also became responsible for the co-operative program in translation. What that means is that, among other things, I also have to keep in touch with our trainees and their employers, which is very interesting. Teaching gives an opportunity to always be in the dynamics of transmission which is a constant, enriching give-and-take. So, when did I decide I wanted to be a prof... There is no exact date for that. At 20, I wanted to change the world but then, after listening to Paul Piché's 'Escalier' ('Staircase'), I realized that to change the world one has to make oneself loved - that is, in fact, the ending phrase of the song. That struck me a lot and that is when I decided that I wanted a child. Prior to that, I was indeed very egoistic and self-centered. So the birth of a child has had a strongest impact on my life - it has structured me as a person. My daughter organized me and made me realize I was not the hub of the universe! So, after that, I said to myself that there was something very fascinating in transmission. Maybe my coming into teaching has been an extension of what broke out after my daughter's birth.
What five pieces of advice could you give to a future translator? The ones you find essential.
Ok. Read - everyone should say that. Read everything from Publisac to the 'La Pléiade'. That is not a joke. One should read Publisac to keep abreast of the most common language errors. Haha! One should also read the 'La Pléiade' to be acquainted with the greatest collections of some of the greatest authors. One should be very open-minded - we admire the talent of a singer whose voice range is wide for a reason - a translator should also have a wide range of knowledge and interests. So, read a lot in correlation with working on your linguistic register in order to be able to write in all kinds of styles and tones, on all kinds of levels. Be curious and perceptive of others' opinions and tastes, be open, be generous... And last but not least... One should have a good sense of criticism as to the work one does - and that is very important in everything and not solely in translation. That means, among other things, leading a balanced intellectual life - people who can talk about nothing else but their jobs at a party are dull.
Haha! Thank you for this great interview!
The pleasure is mine, Olga!
DANIÈLE MARCOUX'S PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Member of Literary Translators' Association of Canada
Member of the Canadian Association for Translation Studies
Jury member for the John Glassco Prize in literary translation (2005)
It comes as no surprise that 56% of Montrealers are bilingual, but it is curious as to how much of that percentage are Quebecers who are as fluent in English as they are in French, if not more. Felix Mercier, a third-year Concordia student studying business administration, belongs to the latter category. Born at the same time as his twin brother Hugo in Montreal to full-blooded French-Canadian parents, he moved with his family to Connecticut when he was five, only to return to his hometown for university studies, thirteen years later at the age of 18. Despite not speaking a word of English at the time of his arrival in the United States, he now says he is more comfortable in it than his mother tongue of French. Felix happens to be an ideal specimen for investigation into the mind of someone who is divided not only in language, but also in identity, given most of his upbringing in a country elsewhere than that of his birth. What follows are his personal thoughts and opinions on such musings:
]]> Q: Were you nervous about starting a new life in a new place and if so, how did you manage to overcome that?Felix: I don't really know. I can't say because I was too young and don't remember that well. I do remember going to kindergarten and not being able to talk to anyone at first, which was pretty weird, but I just sort of started speaking English one day and picked it up pretty quickly. Kids can definitely learn a lot faster than adults.
Q: When did you become able to speak it fluently?
Felix: I was pretty much fluent by the first year of living there. I was still speaking French at home with my parents and my brother but I started it speaking it less and less as my English got better.
Q: Did you eventually stop speaking French completely?
Felix: Not completely but nearly. At some point, I started speaking English with them instead while they would almost always respond to me in French. Today, I try my best to talk to them only in French but I'll switch to English here and there when there are certain things I can't express.
Q: Do you find it easier to speak one or the other?
Felix: Not really, even though I speak better English. I just think it doesn't take any more or any less effort for me to speak one than the other, but I personally find it simpler to express most things in English.
Q: What do you think is simple about it?
Felix: I don't know, I can't quite put my finger on it. Things just seem to flow better and it doesn't require as much attention to what you're trying to say, if that even makes sense. I just feel like French sometimes takes more words to express the same thing that would take less words in English.
Q: What language do you think in?
Felix: That's a tough question. I think English for the most part because I've been exposed to it a lot more and for longer, but French is still my mother tongue so I have been thinking in French more and more since moving back to Montreal and getting the chance to speak it more often.
Q: Are you an American citizen?
Felix: Yeah, I hold dual citizenship. It comes in pretty handy when I want to cross hassle-free into either Canada or the States by just showing the passport of the country where I'm going to.
Q: In terms of nationality, what do you want to be identified as?
Felix: Good question. I'm not entirely sure because when I lived in the States, I felt American even when my friends would make fun of for being Canadian. When I came back to Montreal for university, the PQ came to power and there was a lot of that separatist stuff going on so I considered myself Quebecer for a bit, but that's all done now so I've just been saying I'm Canadian. I guess it changes depending on where I live, but I don't take pride or preference in being identified as this or that. I'm just a North American, I guess.
Q: Where do you think you would want to live in later life?
Felix: That's hard to answer because I don't even know where I want to live after university, although I'll most likely end up moving back in with my parents for a year or so. It's nice that I can live either in Canada or in the States since I'm a citizen of both but I think I might want to bounce around until I find a place where I feel the most at home and at ease.
Q: Do you think that might be in Canada or in the States?
Felix: To be honest, probably the States since that's where most of my family and friends are. I have family and friends here in Montreal too but my grandparents live a few kilometres out and most of my friends here are most likely going back to where they're from once they're done school.
Q: Is there anything that you miss in the States that Canada doesn't have?
Felix: That's easy. Cheap alcohol and cigarettes (laughter). But in all seriousness, I just find life in Canada to be a lot more expensive for basic stuff like groceries and gas--even though I don't drive here--but I guess it makes sense because there are more benefits like free healthcare. I guess if I ever get cancer from cheap Marlboros, I'll have to come back here for treatment!
Q: How do you feel about Canadians as an American, and vice versa?
Felix: That's funny, I was just thinking about that. As an American, I almost think that Canadians are just mild versions of Americans. I feel like they do what Americans do, just not to the same American "go big or go home" degree. It's not a bad thing, it's just an observation. As a Canadian, I find that Americans aren't really that different from us but they just happen to get a bad rap because of a few bad apples, and mostly their government, but everyone I know back in Connecticut is as friendly. intelligent and open-minded as people believe Canadians to be.
]]>The city of Montreal is a bastion of bilingual culture. It ranks higher than any other Canadian city in bilingualism, with young adults thriving in multiple languages. Fred Genesee has a wealth of examples to draw from for his research on childhood bilingualism--examples like Montreal-based games journalist Jessica Beaudoin.Jessica's experiences reflect how much of her generation has been exposed to language and bilingual culture. She grew up bilingual; though her parents are monolingual francophones, her schooling was in both English and French, providing a bilingual language base that her parents never had. She represents one of the most common faces of Canadian bilingualism.
Jessica, to my ears, has no accent. This is something I quickly correct myself on; I'm a monolingual English speaker, and sometimes we forget that we're a minority in the world. Still, it reflects a difference in the bilingual and monolingual mindsets. I can't help but define everything by a single language. Jessica, having grown up educated in two, approaches language in a wholly different way. I try to clear myself of monolingual assumptions, having now read extensively on Genesee's research, but there is no substitute for the first-hand experience Jessica has to offer.
]]> Alix Fraser: Do you consider yourself bilingual? How would you describe your languages?Jessica Beaudoin: I consider myself bilingual. Because I pursued my schooling entirely in English and made some English-speaking friends, I think it's just as strong as my French. When I talk to other bilingual people, I'll do a lot of code switching--that's the way I'm most comfortable talking.
AF: What was the language climate around you growing up? Was it primarily monolingual or bilingual?
JB: My parents only speak French, so the climate at home was monolingual. My city has a military base, and most students who frequented St-John's had one parent working there. Most of them had parents who were much more comfortable speaking French, like mine. At school, I remember most students being monolingual before we entered the bilingual program.
AF: What language was your schooling in?
JB: My parents managed to send me to St-John's, an English public school, by some miracle. St-John's had a bilingual program that made students in grade three fluent French and English speakers by grade six. After high school, I continued on to Cegep and University in English.
AF: Are there any assumptions you have or have heard about being bilingual? If yes, what are they? If no, are there any you have heard about being monolingual?
JB: My parents sent me to an English school because they wanted me to have more career options. I think it's fair to say that bilingual people have access to more jobs, but the way my parents talked, those who are monolingual are at a distinct disadvantage on the job market, regardless of their field of study.
"For me, English felt new, and it was knowledge I had that my parents didn't..."
AF: If you could study any one thing about bilingual children, what would it be?
JB: I guess I would be interested to know if they prefer one language over the other. For me, English felt new, and it was knowledge I had that my parents didn't, so I was definitely more excited to learn it than I was to perfect my French.
AF: Were there any instances as a child where you either excelled or fell behind because of your bilingualism?
JB: In the nebulous periods of my life that were grade four and five, I remember being confused by faux amis, words that are the same in French and English but that don't mean the same thing. The bilingual program didn't address these issues specifically, so most students in my situation were left to look up the words in a dictionary after receiving a paper on which they were underlined. One of my friends still struggled with this concept in Cegep; she regularly wrote sentences like "So-and-so's apparition on TV..."
I was spared a lot of those problems because I picked up reading in English quite early. By grade six, I was reading a lot more books in English than in French, so I paid attention to context to avoid the pitfalls of faux amis in my own writing. Since I've learned to keep both languages apart in my head, I haven't felt behind at all. I regularly talk to people my age who can't watch movies in their original English and who express their envy that I don't have to settle for translated jokes.
AF: Genesee has written on a series of childhoold bilingualism myths. One is children who divide their time between languages suffer in fluency; Genesee says that it isn't an issue, because the quality of the language is what teaches you competency, not the quantity. Looking back at your childhood, do you think the myth is right or wrong?
JB: Based on my experience, I would say the myth is wrong. I grew up learning new words both in French and English and my brain handled this just fine. Today, I can say that I am quite confident in both languages.
AF: Was there any time in your childhood that you fell behind in one or both languages? Was your advancement in your languages equal?
JB: I don't think I've ever felt behind. My advancement was probably not equal around grade three, when my exposure to English was just beginning, but simply hearing the language spoken on a daily basis added words and rules to my brain at a very fast pace, such that by grade six, my English was almost as strong as my French. After that, it was just a matter of doing some reading and writing a few papers, and it wasn't too long before I felt that I mastered both equally.
AF: Growing up, did your family speak the majority or minority language in your community? Can you recall any pressure on you to either focus only on the majority language or both the majority and minority?
JB: My parents spoke the majority language, French. I don't recall any pressure to learn English because before I knew it, I was learning it. At St-John's, some students from military families only spoke the minority language, but the bilingual program would help them to learn French. I don't think either group felt any pressure to learn one or both languages--there certainly wasn't a sense that any one was better than the other at St-John's--but I can't speak for the Anglophone students.
"I am extremely grateful to have had the chance to learn both languages."
AF: Lastly, how do you feel growing up bilingual affected you? Do you have any messages for either the monolingual or bilingual community based on your experiences?
JB: I am extremely grateful to have had the chance to learn both languages. Today, I can't imagine where my life would be headed if I didn't speak English. Like I said, I've continued going to English schools, and am looking toward a career in writing--I don't know that I would have chosen this option had I grown up speaking only French. English was always more exciting for me, but that may be just because it was new. I went on to learn the basics of Spanish and Italian out of sheer love for languages.
I would encourage French speakers living in Quebec to learn English by any means available to them. A lot of my friends who didn't have the privilege of going to an English school learned the language through video games. It's not that hard, and when you're having fun at the same time, it barely feels like learning. My advice: read, play, and watch movies. If you're at all motivated to be bilingual, you'll get there.
In Montreal, bilingualism is a fact, not a novelty. Nearly everyone knows at least a few words from more than one language. It is a culture of bilingual communication the likes of which is unrivalled in the rest of Canada.
Jessica is effortlessly bilingual. Her experiences growing up with two languages inspire my own limited monolingual sensibilities. It is too late for me to learn in childhood the way Jessica did and Genesee has written about, but her parting message sticks with me.
After all, as Jessica says, if you're at all motivated to be bilingual, you'll get there.
]]>Carla DiGiovanni is no ordinary high school teacher. Considered a veteran among her colleagues, she has been teaching French and Spanish at Iroquois Ridge High School for over a decade. Known to her former and current students as "DiG" (pronounced deej), she still teaches at IRHS despite approaching retirement. However, what sets her apart from any other teacher is the high regard in which she is held by the many students of varying age who come back to visit her, myself included.
]]> It was during January of 2008 when I first met DiG in grade 9. Walking into third period French, I came upon a short, middle-aged woman with a warm smile who certainly looked the part. Her enthusiastic greeting exuded a friendly vibe that welcomed me into her domain. Though she seemed kind and easygoing most of the time, I soon found out that getting on her bad side was a big mistake. Over the course of high school, I would learn that those gentle, green eyes could quickly convey an intense wrath of which the individual on the receiving end would unmistakably take heed. However, it is essential to understand that her temper does not characterize that of a bitter fishwife, but a big-hearted woman speaking frankly in the interest of her students. For those who ever crossed the line with her, it was the type of motherly scolding that forced them to re-examine their ill behaviour. It seems likely that her abundance of passion for everything, whether it be for her profession or her students, can be ascribed to her Italian upbringing. Whatever her background, her French classes, always full of laughter, never failed to entertain and educate.For most people, being told of possessing unlimited potential is usually somewhat embarrassing and dismissed as false praise, even if it were meant genuinely. For this reason, DiG expected this type of reaction and always insisted on her utmost sincerity. Never one to give up, it was clear from day one that she cared about each and every one of her students no matter their level of aptitude or proficiency. Her patience never ran thin when helping those who needed it the most, all the while actively encouraging those doing well to keep on. It has been said that insanity is to do the same thing over and over while expecting different results. If such were the case, DiG is undoubtedly the maddest woman to have ever lived, as she is likely to have repeated the same grammar rules and conventions countless of times, despite a number of students who remained none the wiser. Granted, pushing non-native speakers of French into a French-only situation naturally sized up to result in a dubious rate of fluency, but her iron resolve to get through this thick language barrier enabled even students of marginal language proficiency to speak functional French by the end of high school.
As someone who has bequeathed much knowledge to me in many realms beyond that of language, DiG is undoubtedly a didact, though never overbearing. I recall an incident in which I whimsically poked fun at a friend during his presentation. Though she always had a sense of humour and disturbances of this kind were not uncommon in her class--usually considered funny, I raised that dormant ire of hers by mocking his pronunciation. Her verbal onslaught that took me down more than two notches left me feeling deeply ashamed, yet humbled. From then on, I knew not to consider myself above my peers because she knew, almost like an oracle, that what goes around would eventually come around. Fast-forward to my second year at Concordia, it finally came around in the form of an important essay with nothing but red marks and a grade of 56%. With a shattered academic self-concept, I visited DiG for advice. At a time when switching majors was a serious subject of deliberation, she spoke me the truth straight as it was: "I understand that you've never had to try hard in my classes, but I know you have what it takes to succeed if you would just apply yourself and grow a thicker skin." Based on my continued studies, there is no doubt as to the impact of her words, which were neither sympathetic nor motherly, only truthful and supportive.
Despite the many things I have said about her, DiG is simply ineffable. As hard as I could try describing her in words to elucidate her marked individuality as a teacher, it wouldn't compare like the experience of actually meeting her and discovering her quirks. Though it is unknown if she still teaches at IRHS at this time, I can only hope so, for an annual visit is due very soon. It warms my heart to picture her reaction to being called "the maddest woman to have ever lived."
]]>It is 3:30 pm on a Wednesday. I am sitting on my balcony watching the hustle and bustle below. There is a group of young kids, possibly no more than thirteen, stomping and laughing their way down the sloped street of Cote-Des-Neiges. They're yelling, and I can hear them-- but I can only understand half of it.
These children are, like a substantial number of young Montrealers, totally bilingual. They switch between languages with an ease that I'm sure I couldn't acquire with years of studying French. It's likely that some of them, if not most, have been bilingual from birth. They have, as Montreal-based bilingual researcher Fred Genesee would say, two first languages.
]]> The ManFred Genesee, a professor at McGill University since 1978, studies bilingualism in children. He is not a professor in any department dealing with language--Genesee teaches Psychology. The link might not be immediately obvious, but Genesee's writings on bilingualism reflect a viewpoint based in Psychology far more than any language art.
Respected around the world as a foremost expert in bilingualism, Genesee has lectured in places such as America, Japan, Spain, Czechoslovakia, and Australia as well as Canada. He has written countless articles on childhood language acquisition, and has published numerous books on the subject. One of Genesee's most prominent ideas is that of Bilingual First Language Acquisition, and his views have changes the way many parents see educating their child.
Quebec provides Genesee a rich opportunity for hands-on research. In 1965, in the town of St. Lambert, Quebec, a group of parents pioneered a total French immersion school system for their children. The experiment went on to be the basis of immersion programs all over Canada. The history of the program in Quebec, along with the high rate of bilingualism in Montreal, has been the inspiration behind a number of Genesee's studies.
The Myth
One of Fred Genesee's major points in his writings are what he calls the four unfounded myths about bilingual children:
The Reality
In actual fact, none of these myths hold up to the research Genesee has done:
Beyond the myths of disadvantaged bilingual children is the reality that to learn two first languages promotes, Genesee has written, "national unity, cross-cultural understanding, and employment opportunities".
The City
Genesee's work on bilingualism has given him unique insight into the use of language in Montreal. Along with the high rate of bilingualism from birth, there are children who begin to learn a second language when they start school and many adults who pick up a second language when they join the workforce. Bilingualism permeates Montreal's culture.
In an interview about the rate of bilingualism in Montreal, Genesee said that schools where Anglophone children were surrounded by native French speakers are expected to be "quite good". His research into how children acquire language has led him to advocate total immersion--not just in school, but in all aspects of life.
However, as children go forward in life, bilingual language skills do not always translate to integration in Montreal's community. Genesee has criticized the French community in regards to their acceptance of bilingual Anglophones, saying that a "lot of people are very bilingual, but they're not being hired and not being accepted. To resolve that one the French community has to look at itself long and hard, frankly."
I come from a part of Canada that is nearly overwhelmingly monolingual. The bilingual climate of Montreal is breathtaking and complex to my Anglophone senses. Fred Genesee's writings and observations are extremely important to me as an outsider, to parents and educators, and the bilingual community as a whole.
]]>Meeting language professionals, whether they be translators, linguists, or simply teachers, is undoubtedly always of a great moment to someone who aspires to, one day, pride themselves on being one. Gabrielle Delisle, a linguist with long-standing expertise and seasoned medical translator, is also a versatile professor at the Department of Linguistics and Translation at the University of Montreal. This accomplished woman knows how important it is to mix with right people as you are carving out a languages-related career for yourself. She knows what it is like to scramble up the long and tortuous staircase of the linguistic world as well as to live through all vertiginous ups and downs related to the phenomenon of the translator`s pessimism. And, what is more, Madam Gabrielle knows when the moment of wanting to share your knowledge with the younger generation comes and marks the level of the overall professional maturity you have achieved over time. Besides, it was the latter that spurred her to eventually become a simple teacher who, nevertheless, does not let her translator`s skills blunt.
]]> At age 64, Madame Delisle is in perfect shape, both physically and spiritually. Working at the UdeM and at Novartis, a prestigious pharmaceutical company, - part-time here, part-time there - she still finds enough time to dedicate to other things than just that explosive mixture of work. Sitting down to have a conversation with her makes me realize what it is like to be in the presence of someone who is really enthused by what they do. Being a budding translator myself, I can definitely relate to all the linguistics- and translation-related points she makes, either because I have already dealt with some of them or because some of them have been haunting me for a while. I met Madam Gabrielle through a friend of mine who is also in translation (but at the UdeM), and she was as kind as to introduce me to this great woman who I now regard as a perfect role model for those who are born linguists. Addressing her for the first time, I can sense a tiny amount of the reservedness that is so characteristic of most teachers which, as the conversation unfolds, gets almost dissolved in her natural jovial disposition. Madam Gabrielle even seems quite comfortable resorting to gesturing, especially as we touch upon the burning topic of bi- and multilingualism in Québec. So after half an hour of communicating with her, you can clearly see that she comes out as a very pleasant albeit quite composed individual. The bearing of this delicate but fairly deft woman speaks volumes about her incredible ability to stay a work ethic stickler without, however, becoming a nerdy demon for work. Looking at her, you could tell she loves having a good laugh over a cup of tea with a friend, chatting about this and that, this and that NOT necessarily being linguistics and translation. And yet, as Madam Gabrielle herself points out, "hard work is not something to be afraid or tired of; rather, it is a heavy golden key that you have to invest a great deal of your time forging whilst you are an adolescent if you want to open the door leading to a blissfully secure life as an adult and elder". By the looks of things, this woman has succeeded in forging herself such a key.A Canadian-born francophone, originally from the beautiful village of St-Donat in the north of Québec, Gabrielle Delisle grew up in a bilingual family with two sisters and a brother, herself being the youngest of the three kids. Her mother, Élise DeFontenay, originally from the south of France, never insisted that her children learn to speak first and foremost French, with immense consideration for her husband whose mothertongue was English. Rather, she would always encourage her kids to speak both languages depending on which of the parents they talked with at a certain point. Gabrielle`s father, Michael Henley, would also always support his wife`s eagerness about linguistic equality within their family. Today, he acknowledges that it was not until he and Élise had their first child that he really started learning some basic French: "Before the coming into the world of our firstborn, I am ashamed to admit, I did not speak a word of French. Thankfully, Élise would always be very tolerant of my ignorance" he recalls with a hearty laugh. "But becoming a father of a child born of a francophone mother, I realized I had to give my child a good example of healthy bilingualism. At the time, Élise was very good at English, so I made my best to correspond. Virtually, it is speaking with my kids in English and asking them to translate certain words to French for me that I actually mastered the language". So growing up, Gabrielle and her siblings would always address their parents in French and English respectively. That being said, Gabrielle and the other kids would always refer to themselves as being "anglo-francos", even though, technically speaking, French was the first language they started to express themselves in: they would spend more time with their mother when they were small. Today, according to Madam Gabrielle, the fact of being born and growing up in a family where no chauvinistic unilingualism was ever imposed is the main reason she did not grow up to become a narrow-minded unilingual die-hard. Besides, that greatly stipulated her fondness of languages on the whole and her desire to weave that into her future profession.
As is known, the lucky position Gabrielle found herself in in terms of language due to the wise and open-minded Élise and Michael is way far from being typical - their point of view is, unfortunately, not shared by all parents, in Canada at least. Gabrielle herself recalls quite a lot of her fellow pupils at primary school who did not necessarily speak English as well as she did, even though either of their parents spoke this language as a mothertongue. That is truly something that has always made Madam Delisle desperate about the linguistic heritage of humankind - given the increase of international marriages from year to year, it would seem perfectly natural and logical that children born in such marriages should master both of the languages their parents speak as native. That, however, much to Madam Gabrielle`s regret, does not seem to always be the case in her native Québec.
"Apart from students born of anglo-or francophone parents, I do have a lot of students who were born in Canada but whose parents had immigrated from elsewhere. I have all the pain to admit that those students, in spite of being perfect at both English and French, do not speak a word of their parents` language. That is exactly how you lose your roots" she notes sadly. "And, of course, it is the parents who are to blame". As regards that, Madame Delisle has always taken a firm stance and for a good reason. Parents ARE responsible for how many-faceted and versatile the education that their children receive is. It is up to them, therefore, whether or not to inculcate their offspring with the linguistic values of their ancestors.
What I like about this person the most is that she does not simply blab about lofty ideals without directly implementing her principles in her own family. A mother of two, whose father is neither an anglo- nor a francophone but a lusophone, this woman has managed not only to preserve both French and English within her family but also to learn Portuguese so as to freely speak with her husband and to show a good example to her little kids. Now that her children are fully-fledged adults having their own kids, Madam Gabrielle is genuinely proud of being a multilingual mother of multilingual individuals who do not, however, let their anglo-franco roots pass into nothingness - they teach French and English to their children along with a couple more foreign languages. "And that should be done, importantly, from a very young age" Gabrielle`s eldest daughter echoes her mother with conviction. "A child`s brain is like a sponge: soak a sponge in water and observe how fast it gets absorbed. With age, it may come out as a bit of a challenge to learn a foreign language, especially if you are not accustomed to the process. Had my parents not assumed the shared responsibilty of teaching me and my siblings French and Portuguese at an early stage, who knows whether I would speak these as fluently and correctly as I do today. I could well have lost at least either of them".
Sharing details about her career path, Gabrielle admits to having been rather short of good counsellors as she was beginning her career as a translator. "I was extremely motivated to translate, you know. However, it was a rare chance to come across a teacher who would enthusiastically initiate you into the very nuances of the job. Naturally, it is up to you to go and pore over dictionaries in search of a good equivalent. But I am convinced that checking up whether the equivalent a student has found is not a mess must be a teacher`s priority. And since I fell into a ditch with lame equivalents on multiple occasions when I was younger, I now see to it that a student who, I can tell, is very eager about the subject and feels language receives valuable feedback from me" Madam Gabrielle concludes. As far as my own experience is concerned, that is not a position shared by all teachers.
Gabrielle Delisle has long-term experience of working both as a translator and, occasionally, interpreter. And when she was younger, she would never have imagined she would want to dedicate a great chunk of her working time to teaching at university. However, as years went by, she was getting more and more frustrated with the younger generation of translators, fresh out of university, who lacked the technique and the soft skills that make a good translator. "At some point, I decided that I could reset my priorities and dedicate at least some portion of my time to teaching translation to youngsters. I was later surprised that I got so much into the process and was so excited to reap the results of my work at university that I considerably cut down on my work at Novartis and plunged into education" Madam Gabrielle confesses. "However, it is strongly believed by me that a good teacher should also stay abreast of the professional realities of a translation-related job to be able to share them with future translators while they are still at university. That is why I took a firm decision that my working time should fall into two: translating and teaching translation" she explains.
Some of Gabrielle Delisle`s university colleagues find her even "intimidating" at times. "But that has nothing to do with her personality", shares one of her fellow teachers, herself a translator in her early fifties. "She is a fabulous person, a nice sport, and an affectionate mother, for all I know. I happen to know her closely and I can tell you that she would always sacrifice her up-coming promising projects to baby-sitting for her grandchildren when they were sick. However, it is her approach to knowledge and methodology that is intimidating. In a good way, though" she laughs. "Funnily enough, students, I mean those who are really passionate about her subject and do not just take it because it is a prerequisite or something, love her and often stay after class to get some straight tip from her, which she gladly gives. Gabrielle is someone who needs to see a vivid interest in her domain in her students` eyes to let her light-hearted side show. And once it shows, trust me, she is not someone who will be a scrooge in sharing her knowledge with others".
Honestly, that is what I call a teacher in her own right and a self-accomplished broad-minded individual.
Attribution: The real people that inspired the characters presented in this profile are not associated with such institutions as the University of Montreal and Novartis. The characters were artificially put into a contemporary frame wherein the setting is Montreal, Québec. That was done to adjust the narrative to the realities that would be comprehensible specifically for the Canadian reader as well as to spare them any side, redundant information related to the prototypes and make the narrative more vivid and up-to-date .
]]>First and foremost, I must preface the fact that I revel in keeping to myself. Seldom do I enjoy discussing intimate thoughts with others and self-disclosure has always been painfully awkward for me. In order to understand my state of mind, it should be noted that I'm, ironically, in a constant struggle to hide nothing. That being said, I bare you my soul in the form of contemplative rambling.
My ultimate goal in life is to perceive myself realistically, i.e. to actually be who I think I am. As simple as it may seem, it is thus far proving to be the hardest task I've ever undertaken, considering the unpredictable nature of my ego. My greatest hindrance to attaining higher self-awareness has been the tendency to delude myself into believing things about myself that are completely untrue, both good and bad. Therefore, I believe the only way to come to terms with every facet of my existence as a human being is honesty. The experience that drove this point home was when I told my Catholic father on my eighteenth birthday that after three dreadful years of regular church attendance, I no longer wanted to go. Telling him I didn't believe in his God was devastating for him and strained our relationship for a while. Eventually, he understood because it was the straight truth, and we were well again, which taught me that sometimes good medicine tastes bad, even if its benefits aren't immediate. Honesty has been an essential quality for which I strive ever since. However, apostasy isn't the only way in which I've damaged relationships.
]]> Though I am ashamed to admit it, I have been on some awful terms with a few people in my life. Such circumstances, some due to some visceral need of mine to be right, have led me to value the importance of reason. Honesty may come naturally, but being open-minded for me is an elusive virtue. What made me understand this particular lesson was a falling out I had with a good friend over the fact that I was associating with people he didn't like. Our friendship simply dwindled until we no longer even acknowledged each others' presence. As much as I couldn't stand the awkward discomfort around him, admitting I was wrong meant compromising my integrity. Few months later, his apology on Christmas Eve made me realize the sheer absurdity of having perpetuated this undesired cycle of negativity for so long, simply out of pride. I learned from then on that my ego mustn't get in the way of my relationships, or anything in life for that matter, and that logical reasoning should always take priority over attachment to one's opinions and emotions. Someday, I hope to strike this balance between being confident and humble in thought, but until then, the process of simultaneous learning and unlearning continues, one day at a time.So there I lay bare the introspective thoughts for which I racked my brain. Though I can't help but slightly feel that it may all have been frivolous drivel, I hope my reluctant efforts to bring insight into my life were at least not entirely in vain. Self-discovery is a permanent work in progress and on that note, I should get to work.
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]]>Since the day I was born, I have literally bathed in foreign languages. As I was born two years after the Soviet Union collapsed, my family, eyewitnessing the unemployment and financial turmoil of the epoch, instilled in me the inevitable necessity of learning several foreign languages and moving abroad later on. The curious thing is that, in spite of being a little child, I never resisted that. I loved the idea of exploring the entirely new world of languages other than my own. I started learning English at the age of three - my mother would always teach me Russian letters (it is my mothertongue), along with the English alphabet. My grandmother is to be given credit for teaching me the basics of the French language; we spent hours walking in nearby parks as she was stuffing me with a bunch of new French words on a regular basis.
]]> Years later, the crucial moment finally came. At age 18, I left Ukraine with my family to settle in Montreal, Canada. Coming here marks a brand-new chapter in my life and accounts for a great many changes I have undergone as a person ever since. Importantly, unlike many expatriates from my country, I did not have much difficulty integrating the new environment, at least on a linguistic level. However, even having that asset in my possession, I was still having a hard time understanding people around me, not as much in terms of language as in terms of mentality and cultural differences. Overall, it would be rather hard for me to think of one particular experience that has shaped me as a person as I have had a great deal of situations that I could draw a lesson from (both in Ukraine and in Montreal). Nevertheless, I strongly believe that what has moulded my character in a most drastic manner happened after I crossed the border.As I have already mentioned above, I am really big into languages, which apparently accounts for my spick-and-span attitude toward linguistic details. Pronunciation, coming to the fore as one of the most significant and important facets of mastering a foreign language (at least in my understanding), put me in a bit of an agony when I came to Montreal. It is fair to note that in my country, as I believe in the majority of post-Soviet republics, the standard form of the English language is considered to be British English. Equally, British pronunciation (aka Received Pronunciation) is primarily the one that students are taught at school and especially at university (provided that a university is specialized in foreign languages, of course). Since I spent two years at such a university, at the department of Roman-German philology and lingusitics, the question of pronouncing English words with a pronunciation and intonation other than British never even occurred to me.
Moreover, I have always taken an enormous pleasure in speaking with a British accent. It took me quite a while to master it to the best of my ability, which included listening to tons of native spoken material (e.g., interviews with British actors and actresses, etc.), and trying to emulate the manner they spoke and the sounds they pronounced. Naturally, I was extremely proud of myself when I finally got the desired clean accent practically identical to that of native speakers. At that point of my life, I was absolutely convinced that I would never ever switch to the then-disfavored-by-me Amercian accent. I was, trully and utterly, a staunch supporter of an English pronounced and spoken a la the British Queen.
I have to say that I was an inveterate idealist when I left my native country. I never had a shadow of a doubt that I would have to and, what is more, want to change anything about my attitude toward life in general and toward my way of speaking specifically. Even a year into my Canadian stay, I continued to express myself in British English, never minding that certain people (given that Montreal is a very multi-cultural city), had a tough time understanding me. I would rarely speak in English with francophones - I was keen on practising my French whenever the opportunity presented itself, - however, when it came to communicating and getting a particular message across to immigrants from various countries like myself, I spoke with my notorious Received Pronunciation, which 'slightly' puzzled them.
I was already at Concordia when, to my greatest disappointment, I discovered that I was gradually starting to lose heart whenever I had to speak. Surrounded by students who would all stick to the American accent, I started to sound artificial to myself, all those prim and proper Briticisms being virtually out of place. Although Canadians would always compliment me on my classic fancy pronunciation, I did not like being a black sheep, not in the slightest. I suddenly felt the overwhelming desire of being on the same wavelength with people whose country had become adopted to me.
The desire became almost tangible when, a year later, I transferred from the English Department to the French one and enrolled in the Translation program. As a matter of fact, I had always wanted to be a translator but, given some circumstances, I did not go for that straight after my arrival. So, English literature was a sort of springboard for me to start off and feel solid ground beneath my feet; plus I got more acquainted with some of the greatest masterpieces written in the English language.
However I might have enjoyed literature, though, in my heart of hearts, I knew that the occupation that would fit me to a T was translation, which eventually spurred my transfer to the Translation program. And there I finally found harmony with American pronunciation. As is known, being a translator requires extreme flexibility in terms of language. Since I knew that a translator`s main task is to assure a quality interpretation of a particular message from one language to another, as well as its high intelligibility, I figured that I would have to adjust my pronunciation and vocabulary to those of the country where I would get to work as a translator. And since I had come to North America and knew that I would, evidently, stay there at least for a while, I suddenly got the desire to master the American accent as well as I earlier did the British accent. That being said, I also promised myself that in case I got to work in Britain, I would definitely revive my good old pronunciation.
And yet, notwithstanding my eventual willingness to embrace American English, I have to admit that it took me a while to trample out certain British sounds and perhaps even now I sometimes lose the American intonation in the middle of a sentence or start swallowing 'r's at the end of certain words. And nevertheless, I would never have imagined that it would please me to speak like everyone around me to the extent that it does now. It is probably hard to explain to someone who has never been in my shoes but, in fact, I feel a lot freer now that I have come to terms with the notion of flexibility - the notion of being open-minded as well as ready to accept and endorse positive changes about yourself as a personality. Surely, at least for myself, all that holds true not only for linguistic scruples but for life and the manner of living one`s life in general.
This experience has shown me that one can naturally be quite happy and satisfied with something one has stuck to for a long time. However, one should never say never to unpredictable twists and turns that life reserves for all of us in an unlimited quantity - one day you might cease to cherish an idea that has always seemed to be the only one and true to you and start to WANT to embrace something that is completely on the other end of the spectrum.
All things considered, I strongly believe that my language experience accompanied by doubts and conservatism in the beginning but crowned with revelation and appreciation in the end has efficiently helped me combat the notorious inclination toward idolatry which the majority of adolescents are prone to. From now on, I know that I will try my best to stay true to what I love without idealizing it and leave room for other things that I may, one day, consider useful and even necessary for my evolution as a person.
]]>I can remember nothing of being ten years old.
When I was nine, I had a seizure. I only know of the event thanks to recollections of others. What I do know is that after exiting a cold lake and moving into a warm tub made me dizzy, I sought out my mother. I then collapsed, seized, and woke up in my parent's bed. A day had passed; for me, it felt like only a confusing few minutes. When I woke up next my mom was trying to get my attention as they rushed me to the mainland.
]]> I don't remember being in the ambulance at all, but I know I was given a stuffed bear to calm me down.Three hospitals looked me over, and I was diagnosed with Epilepsy--I don't remember that, either. My parents were given a medication to give me to control the seizures.
The year I took the medication is gone from my memory. Insomnia was an unfortunate side effect of the pills I was taking. The lack of sleep took its toll on me in multiple ways, especially with regards to my ability to remember events. My overworked brain did not make new memories.
After a year of no seizures, my parents took me off the medication. My Epilepsy was a thing of the past.
Or so we thought.
There are multiple types of seizures. Most people know of only one or two; Epilepsy is connected with the image of a person on the ground, shaking and jerking. Just as disrupting for a person are the seizures you can't see happening. It is far harder to diagnose these kinds, especially when the person experiencing them doesn't know what is going on.
For years, because I wasn't having full body seizures, it was assumed I wasn't having any at all. I assumed the same, because I had no idea how to express what was happening to me. I would frequently feel as though someone had wrapped my head in tissue paper. Everything was far away, and trying to think felt like my brain had become molasses. It is common to hear voices with these kinds of seizures. Not knowing this, I told no one I'd heard them.
A seizure can be explained as an electric overload of the brain. They are exhausting and debilitating when untreated. I was still having them when I moved away from home to start college, and no one knew.
Everything came to a head the day after my twenty-first birthday. Stress from class, family, and relationship issues had piled on to the toll the unmedicated seizures were having on my body. I ended up having another larger seizure, like when I was nine. It set off a chain of events that led to me being homebound and sick for almost a year. My ability to learn suffered. I found myself stuck.
It was possibly the best thing to ever happen to me.
I've heard of larger seizures being described as pressing the reset button. Though it wasn't as instant as that, something similar happened to me. I withdrew from my program and concentrated everything I had on getting better. I refocused my life, and came out the other end knowing that I was not where I wanted to be. Inspired by the months I spent too sick to learn, I decided to look into going back to school. I had always had a passion for the English language, and so I dediced to persue it academically.
I could go anywhere and restart however I wanted. It was a freedom I never expected from one of the most terrifying and confusing parts of my life.
I can't remember anything of being ten years old, but I don't miss it. I might not be where I am if I could.
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