First Language And One Of Official Language Of Canada - Challenges And Issues Faced By Francophones

Discuss about the First Language And One Of Official Language Of Canada.

The article titled “Why francophones are fighting for access to justice in Ontario” by Daniel Kitts has stated the way a major proportion of Ontarians have valued French as their first language and one of the official language of Canada. However, the author simultaneously has stated the areas of challenges and issues in obtaining adequate accessibility of legal services in French for the French speaking populace in the Canadian province. Furthermore, the Kitts in his article has explicitly casted light on the critical areas of concern which the French speaking populace encounters during any judicial proceedings which has become a fundamental concern for the Ontario governance body in 2009. The article further emphasized on the rights and privileges which the Francophones residing in the areas of Newfoundland and Cape Breton Island possess but undergoes critical areas of challenges and issues while exercising these rights and authorities in order to access integrity and justice in Ontario.

On the other hand, the article titled “Francophone immigrants face greater challenges outside Quebec” by Nicholas Keung published in ‘The Star’ news publication evidently shed light on challenges and obscurity which a French speaking newcomer had encountered while aiming to establish his business in the Canadian trade market. The article exposes the development of areas of avenues for Francophones in the workforce domain of certain regions in Ontario specifically in domains related to finance and insurance sector along with other spheres of health care, technical services and networking. Furthermore, the article has emphasized on the evident increase of marginalization towards the French speaking immigrants which further has been creating greater degree of intricacy and obscurity for this section to settle in the Canadian province.  

The news article published in the Washington Post by J.J. McCullough on September, 2017 has explicitly shed light on the recognition and acknowledgement Canada has recently attained as being recognized as an integrated Western nation that has efficiently been capable of eradicating any forms of discriminatory or prejudiced populism. However, the increasing rates of complexities emerging recently in the certain areas of Quebec have shed light on the existing areas of difficulties and intricacies related to multiculturalism which the Canadian province and administration are incompetent to resolute. The article further provides an explicit understanding of the way Francophones have been considering themselves as an offended or mistreated section and once used to attain justifiable notable justification. Despite of the increasing level of biasness and challenges, Quebec’s French speaking community has been able to establish themselves as strong, decisive and vibrant population thus the marginalized language speaking section must be given adequate rate of provisions in order to ascertain continued achievements and success. It fundamentally suggests sincere consideration towards the critical areas of challenges, pretences and paradoxes pertaining to the immigrant communities of les Québécois, which further has been identified as a distinctively critical matter for the Canadian province.

Part A

It is significant to observe the way several Francophone newcomers have been experiencing continual challenges and intricacies in demonstrating their skills and competence level in the Canadian job market. Several newcomer immigrants like Cheikh Diagne has claimed the way a major section of the Canadian employment sector has disregarded his sincere level of aptitude to be employed in the banking or financial sector of Canada but on the other hand exhibited utmost inclination in incorporating his skills in sectors dealing with customer services and call centres. Drawing similarities to this observation, several other studies have also shed light on the limitations which Canadian employment sector undergoes which further results for any new Francophone newcomers to find employment in French-language speaking workplaces. Furthermore it has been observed the criticality and challenges any new Francophone immigrant experiences during the initial phase of the arrival. However this leads the recently arrived Francophones to efficiently demonstrate and evaluate their competence level in order to successfully integrate in new surroundings which is primarily being dominated by English speaking populaces. These events of complexities and increasing rate of challenges have developed a sense of discontent within the Francophone immigrants who eventually develop the notion of Canada being a prejudiced and sectarian nation.

Francophones inhabiting certain regions of Ontario and Quebec

Source: (Masinda et al. 2014)

Issues Francophones encounter while accessing any legal services have explicitly been revealed in the article published by Daniel Kitts in January, 2018. Most of the French speaking people in Canada face immense level of challenges while going through any legal proceedings in French and tend to spend huge expenditures or costs in accessing appropriate legal services. Furthermore, often many Francophones tend to encounter harmful consequences who ask for additional funding or concern if they are highly incapable in accessing suitable legal services at a rapid rate resulting to higher level of issues and complexities. As a consequence, Francophones unwillingly have to adhere to English speaking legal proceedings, even if that has not been their initial preference. It has further been observed that the Francophone identity has been assumed to be a highly threatened section with a deteriorating sense of feeling of integration and belonging. The French language in certain areas of Quebec, Ontario in Canada has been considered to be highly insolvent and undermined by several critical factors. Furthermore, it has been noted that a major section of Francophones tend to face higher level of complexities and issues while accessing any legal proceedings whereas the same Canadian justice system provides a highly predominant position to the English language speakers. Certain reports further observe the increasing rate of multiculturalism policy and values which results the Francophones to lose their value and significance within the Canadian province. Several studies further illustrate the insensitive reality which sheds light on the severe lack of benefits and privileges which Francophones encounter that further results to higher level of discontentment, exhaustion and resentment towards the nation. Thus there must be significant needs to shed light on these areas of concern through certain achievable approaches of succession plans within the associative organizations of the Francophones.

Part B

Francophones immigrants are considered to be an invisible marginalized section within the majority segment of population. Their requirements are often been overlooked or disregarded by the significant population of Canada. However, studies revealed by Nicholas Keung claim that the shifting global migration patterns have significantly aided Canada to develop its migration profile comprising Francophone colonizers to integrate an increasing rate of French-speaking newcomers. It has been noted that Canada in recent times have been experiencing a wide pool of Francophones newcomers arriving from countries like Africa and other parts of Caribbean in comparison to the European regions. However, it has been observed that though these developing demographics enhance diversity factors they further tend to elevate certain key areas of concerns and challenges primarily because of ethno cultural divergences and factors associated to racial discrimination and ethnicity.  Thus this has led the Francophone communities to experience an unemployment rate twice than the rate observed among the French speakers average in Ontario.

French language Programs provided by Ontario

Source: (Zanchetta et al. 2013)

Furthermore, the understanding of the perspective of Francophones in Ontario and other regions of Canada such as Montreal, Alberta and Laval have revealed that the French speaking immigrants and French Canadians reveal a higher degree of propensity to acquire a certification or degree course from trade educational institutions in comparison to the overall populace residing in Ontario. However, it has been noted that though this section of French speakers attain certification from certain apprenticeship but a very insignificant proportion are able to successfully acquire university degree or recognition. However, Gilbert et al. (2014) emphasized certain exceptions to this tendency whereby more than one third of the Francophones have managed to attain Bachelor’s or University degree. Furthermore, the 2012 census statistics have revealed that members of few Francophones communities have greater degree of tendency to obtain university degree or recognition. It is further to note that around 34% of Francophone ethnic marginalized sections have claimed to undergo university diploma course in comparison to 15.8% of the overall French speakers inhabiting in regions of Ontario.

Though, several Francophone newcomers have shared their experiences of challenges and intricacies in representing their true competencies in order to get employed in the Canadian job sector, it has further been revealed of receiving average employment income which has been estimated to be higher in comparison to the other generalized population of Canada. However, it has been observed that the French speaking communities of South as well as Northern Ontario have claimed to earn less in comparison to Francophones of Central and Eastern regions of Ontario. Though the rate of occupational level among the French speakers has found similar aspects to the other generalized population of Canada, there can be witnessed wide gaps and issues between regions in Ontario which reveals the highest level of lack of employment chances in Northern Ontario and  the lowest rate of unemployment in the Eastern region. Certain statistical data revealed by Flynn, Emma, and Harald Bauder (2015) signify that the French speaking population in Ontario have undergone a significant level of evolution over the past few years. The visible minority section of Francophones is observed to attain high level of education, recognition along with significant decline in the level of unemployment. However, regardless to these factors, the Francophone community residing in Ontario is recognized as a linguistic marginalized and insignificant community within the broader societal sphere of Ontario as well as Canada. Furthermore, this marginal situation tends to serve a decisive role in the way these community distinguishes aspects of life along with its linguistic behavioural patterns and explanations.

Article discussion

Certain data signify that while Francophones in Ontario are usually positioned in the marginalized situation within their society, certain recent French speaking immigrants and members of marginalized communities have developed greater degree of intensity in this marginal situation. It has further been noted that Francophones belonging to evident marginal sections tend to possess dual minority identity and are considered to be a significant part of the linguistic minority section within the wide ranging domain of Anglophone Ontario, thus have developed an identification of being an evident minority among mainly white Franco-Ontarians.

Though the article published in The Washington Post by McCullough have evaluated the way Canada focuses on marginal communities of Francophones comprising both old and new population, there lies certain degree of ambiguity whether the state can address all marginal Francophone communities with utmost value, respect and justice while offering overall cultural as well political protection. However it has been observed that a considerable degree of concern in Quebec has emerged in recent times when figures evaluated from the 2016 Canada census emerge to exhibit a vital relationship with the elevating levels of immigration along with the abating use of French language in the domain of French-speaking province. Thus Katawazi (2017) in his report has signified the way Ontario has been effectively progressing in establishing certain French-speaking language university. These French-speaking linguistic university  which has been recognized as an important approach that has been exercised by the state in order to provide the rising rate of Francophone youths to attain their education in a comprehensive French dominated environment by further offering provisions which vary from those offered in other conventional universities. Furthermore, the provincial government of Canada reportedly has been planning to introduce important legislation within a next few months for the projected post-secondary institutions which further will tend to cater to a major proportion of the young Francophones which is recognized as the prevalent inhabitant section in Canada outside of Quebec. It has further been observed that the Ontarian state has been aiming to create a new as well as improved French linguistic university in the Toronto region and further enhance their commitment and dedication to create an impartial and standalone educational institution with proficient governance and administration by and purposed for the francophone students.

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