We will explore the notion of bilingual identity, which is particularly relevant to Canada, a place where many people identify as both Francophone and Anglophone.
We will also examine openness to other cultures, official language communities in minority settings, and first languages. This article is based on an interview with Catherine Levasseur, Assistant Professor at OLBI.
The meaning of bilingualism in Canada
In Canada, bilingualism refers to fluency in the country’s two official languages: English and French. This bilingualism is also integral to the image that Canada projects internationally, and plays a major role in government policies. Bilingualism is closely tied to Canada’s history and development, and to relations between the two colonial nations that settled this land. Whether they are Francophone, Anglophone, or speakers of another language, those who live in Canada may see the question of bilingualism differently. Yet French-English bilingualism is nevertheless intrinsically woven into the fabric of Canadian identity. Even so, we should remember that many other languages are spoken on Canadian soil, including Indigenous languages.
Communicating with more people
Speaking several languages offers many advantages, which are often related to communication. Indeed, bilingualism allows speakers to communicate with people from many different cultural backgrounds, such as members of an extended family. Bilingualism is also very useful when travelling or immigrating. Moreover, bilingual individuals can identify with both language communities at the same time. There are no notable disadvantages to bilingualism, which does not present barriers to learning.
The career advantages of bilingualism
Bilingualism confers economic advantages: it is an asset in Canada’s labour market. In Canada, bilingual workers have access to a greater range of positions, especially in the public service and in community services. They are also well equipped to serve members of minority communities. What’s more, bilingualism gives individuals opportunities to speak to more people in professional settings, be they clients or colleagues. For Francophones, speaking English is an advantage in terms of promotion and career advancement.
Research on the cognitive effects of bilingualism
Bilingualism and multilingualism may reduce the risk of cognitive disease in old age. They provide certain benefits in terms of convergent thinking, namely to inhibitive and interference mechanisms. For example, the ability to speak two languages helps individuals tune out noise, focus while in large crowds, and make sound decisions.
Other benefits are tied to divergent thinking, including facilitation, which relates to creativity. This includes the ability to see things from a different perspective and to better solve problems. Bilingualism also allows speakers to develop metalinguistic skills that improve their ability to listen.
Very often, bilingual speakers think about their learning in a metalinguistic or metacognitive way. Their understanding of a language system and how it operates is often more advanced than that of their unilingual peers.
Bilingual individuals notice that different words can describe the same reality. They think about language while honing their mental flexibility. As such, bilingualism improves memory, mental well-being, and multitasking skills. It unlocks certain cognitive processes and clears space in memory.
That said, it is important to consider the various social and individual factors that influence cognitive performance.
Opening up to more perspectives on the world
Bilingualism infuses us with different cultures and different ways of seeing the world. By learning to better understand another culture, we improve our understanding of the language associated with it. Bilingual individuals have more ease in understanding abstract cultural concepts. Learning other languages reveals that there are different points of view, thus introducing a certain level of cultural relativism.
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Do you want to become bilingual? Why choose OLBI? OLBI has expertise in teaching second languages, language policy, and bilingualism in Canada. Its professors and instructors care passionately about these issues. So it is the perfect place to learn an official language and become bilingual, and to reflect on bilingualism in Canada and elsewhere. |
Official language minority communities
Promoting bilingualism in Canada also requires inclusion of minority languages. It’s important for communities to be visible and recognized, and to receive the services they’re entitled to (for example, public services, health care and education). This is why francophone minority communities across the country advocate for recognition of their language rights. For them, bilingualism also means recognition of their rights as a language minority. Their rights are protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Anglophone or francophone? Neither. Bilingual!
Someone who speaks two languages should be able to identify with both language groups, take part in either’s community and feel welcome. However, given the historical tensions between anglophones and francophones, it’s hard sometimes to be recognized as a legitimate member of one group or the other.
For example, someone can identify as a francophone but, for several reasons (such as having an English name or an anglophone parent), be rejected and not be properly recognized as a francophone. As well, their francophone status or identity may frequently be challenged.
It’s not unusual for young adults to feel the pressure to chose one side. In reality, being bilingual should allow them to contribute to both groups and be recognized as rightfully belonging.
Patricia Lamarre, a Full Professor in the Didactics department of the Faculty of Education at the University of Montreal, defends someone’s right to have their bilingualism recognized in terms of identity, not just language skills. A bilingual identity isn’t consistently recognized in Canada. This can make for a difficult experience, especially for young adults.
Doing away with the notion of “mother tongue”
Called one’s first language a “mother tongue” is a misnomer. In fact, people who grow up in a home where several languages are spoken shouldn’t have to chose among them. It’s normal not to be equally skilled in all our languages, because our skills vary based on not just our exposure to the language and our schooling, but also on our communication needs and interests.
Bilingualism in Canada: Towards a more inclusive future
In Canada, there are firm perceptions and representations of bilingualism that must be criticized and questioned. Being bilingual doesn’t mean having equal skills in each language learned. Rather, it means having language resources or skills in more than one language and using them according to the context, our needs, our wishes and our goals.
Our skills in each language are constantly evolving. This is normal. Many bilingual people in Canada say they’re unilingual because they don’t think they’re good enough. However, the idea of being perfectly bilingual is a total illusion, and leads to discrimination and exclusion.
“Some people are repeatedly told ‘You don’t speak well enough, you don’t have the right accent, you’ll never be anglophone or francophone.’ That’s one of the reasons there’s social exclusion between francophones and anglophones. We expect a certain way of talking, of using the language, that’s associated with an image of a native speaker. When people don’t fit with this model, they often can’t have their bilingual, francophone or anglophone status or identity recognized,” says Catherine Levasseur, an Assistant Professor at OLBI.
In short, the time has come to question the concept of bilingualism in Canada so as to include all forms thereof. It’s important to value all bilingual skills and all accents.
