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Bilingualism in Canada: Good or Bad?

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Bilingualism in Canada: Good or Bad?

I believe that bilingualism is central to Canada’s identity, as well as other languages. Pierre Elliott Trudeau has said that, “Bilingualism unites people; dualism divides them. Bilingualism means you can speak to the other; duality means you live in one language and the rest of Canada will live in another language”.

Bilingualism is an essential part of Canadian nature and in the Canadian policy it promotes individuals to study a different language so you can be able to have mutual understanding with others. One thing to define being a Canadian is living in a country with two official languages, but doesn’t mean that living in a bilingual city you have to know French and English.

A bilingual country, people or even ethnicity is a benefit to the citizens and society. A research in psychology proves that learning a second language increases reasoning and problem-solving abilities. Canadian children who are bilingual appreciate cultural differences and have the ability to communicate better.

Being bilingual is makes you more open and flexible to critical understanding and appreciating different ways of problem solving and more inspired to becoming involved. The openness of bilingualism is reflected towards society that may direct at the political rank to a better firmness.

Bilingual workers have a greater chance of getting large income benefit over workers who only speak English or French. Bilingual children are said to be able to focus their attention better on relevant information and take no notice of irrelevant distractions.
Another research has exposed that bilingual adults have reduced the effects of aging on the brain. Having a bilingual education is very good because it is said that students achieve greater academic success and are quicker in tasks.

Having a bilingual education provides benefit from childhood to old age. Babies raised in bilingual homes seem to have more skill than those raised in monolingual homes.

The amount of people who talk another language other than English has increased aggressively. About 77% of Canadians know the importance in having the need to learn and preserving the two official languages, while 90% of the Canadian population agree that people who speak more than one language have more chances to be more successful in the global economy. In a study, it is said that bilingualism makes Canada more attractive. In the census it confirms that 5.8 million citizens speak about two languages at home an increase of 1.3 million people.

The most spoken languages in Canada, after English and French, are, in order of importance, Spanish, German, Italian, Hindi, Arab, Chinese, Russian and Hebrew. In the workplace, the second language most used by English-speaking Canadians is French, followed by Spanish, Italian and German.

The bilinguals can change between different languages and speak to people in various languages. It enhances wisdom of self-esteem. Being bilingual builds a great link in diverse people from different countries. It gives a broad knowledge of various ideas and traditions. It advances the ways of thinking and behaving. They don’t see any problems in communicating if there in a foreign country.

Bilingualism is excellent for people and the society in benefiting Canadians politically, socially and economically. A lawyer in central Europe says that, "The more languages you speak the more times you are a human being.

Citation: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/is-bilingualism-still-relevant-in-canada/article4365620/?page=3 http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/socstud/foundation_gr6/blms/6-3-2g.pdf http://www.cnmag.ca/issue-22/855-canadian-bilingualism-e08 http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/html/biling_e.php
http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/html/statsbil_e.php

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