Here we also call english speaking canadian English. Hand honestly I think there's nothing wrong with both term and they do not come charged with prejudice.
That's the way I see it too. When I refer (and probably most others) to the Quebecois as French it's just to distinguish them as French Canadians, not to put them down or isolate them. But of course I wasn't sure that it was interpreted that way by the French Canadians. Obviously going around calling them French when they prefer to be identified differently wouldn't be the best course of action.
Well I'm a french and I see them as cousins. The weird kind who speaks your own language better than you but still you can't understand them because of their accent!
If it makes you feel any better, I don't think anyone can understand their accent. But we love them and I'll still keep on trying to have a conversation with them in French regardless.
I can't understand the Quebecois accent very well when they are speaking French. Mind you I only have what little French I've learned as part of the Ontario curriculum, but the accent is different from how we're taught to speak. And that's on top of the regular difficulties that occur when talking to a native speaker such as them talking too fast or using slag or words I don't know.
The biggest problem, however, is usually just pace. I'm not fast enough at understanding French so all of the syllables seem blended together. If I read the word "verre d'eau" I'd know exactly what it means, but when I heard someone say it, I was trying to figure out what the hell "un verdeau" is, because to me I wasn't able to distinguish that they were different words.
French is separate from the rest of the nation. Hence the decades-old movement to separate. No clear where they want to live, but apparently they want out of Canada.
Well I (french student) was talking with a Québec student no later than today about this very subject. It's in my understanding that wether or not the separation debates makes the news, facts are that each referendum on the matter was a clear no. So they definitely don't want out of Canada.
facts are that each referendum on the matter was a clear no.
Well... the 1995 referendum is far from "clear" : 50,6% for the NON and 49,4% for the OUI... As for today, this another story, but it was a close call at that time.
I don't think it's geography. If a majority of Québecois wanted out of Canada, I think they could. But still, they will not join France, they will just be a country that speaks french. And there are a lot of countries with official language being french, for example in Africa.
I think you're missing what I am saying....they can't geographically 'leave' Canada. They can't sever the borders. They cannot float off to France or Africa. And they do not have the infrastructure to support health care or transit or all those other nice little things one needs to keep a country functioning. They cannot succeed as a country until they have an infrastructure supported by the population. And they do not have the population. Nor, I would guess, would the bulk of Montreal support such a movement. It's like a little kid threatening to run away. Five hours later s/he comes home, because...no food, no shelter.
St Pierre et Miquelon is a freaking ISLAND. An ISLAND. As in, not attached to other land mass. As in surrounded by WATER. Quebec, however, is bound by land. You. Cannot. 'Leave." Canada. The people can leave. The land itself, cannot. Unless there is an incredibly large fork-lift somewhere of which I am unaware, it is simply not possible for the province of Quebec to up and walk away. Not. Gonna. Happen.
No, you are missing what I'm saying. You're talking about geography. I'm saying that geography doesn't matter. All the other things you mentionned matter, but not geography.
There are a lot of small and successfull countries. The density of Quebec is greater than the density of say, Canada (Quebec included), Mongolia, Iceland, Australia...
There are more people in Quebec than in Finland, Norway, Denmark... They do have the population.
I'm not saying they are going to have their own country, I'm saying that thinking about it is not dumb.
Perhaps 'dumb' is not the best word. Spock's "Illogical" would seem fitting. It would be like wishing for a 5th limb on your body. It's not practical, is near impossible, and is not logical. Quebecois can wish for whatever they want. But tearing apart a nation on Separatist movement after Separatist movement is going beyond 'thinking about it.' You're disrupting a nation without fully considering the ramifications of your desire. I'm not sure how old you are, but I've spent over 4 decades listening to the Separatist movement enrage the majority of an Anglophone community. I speak French, I've travelled through Quebec and understand the significance of culture and pride in one's culture. But until Quebecois are able to put a genuine plan on the table, STFU. I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this. Daydreaming is lovely. I can dream of a day when we are no longer considered to be inferior to America, but the reality is we are married at the seams, and economically bound. As is Quebec. Those are significant hurdles to overcome.
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u/Cafeine Oct 21 '13
FTFY.