4.2: Official Minority Rights

Where do you find the largest populations of Francophones outside of Québec, and why might their language rights be important?

Turn and talk to a partner. 

There is only one province that is officially bilingual. New Bunswick established their offical languages as both English and French on April 18, 1969. What this means is peole can recieve services provided by the provincial government in either language. 

Why do you think they estalbished bilingualism there?

What about the rest of Canada?

Here is the most recent cenesus report on language demographics in Canada: Statistics on Official Languages in Canada

Pick out 3 intresting facts and write them on a scrap piece of paper. Be sure to write you rname on it. 

Anglophone - a person whose first language is English

Francophone - a person whose first language is French

official language community - one of the groups in Canadian society whose members speak an official language of English or French as their first language

official language minority - a group that speaks one of Canada's official langaues and that does not make of the majority of the population of that province or territory

publicly funded - paid for by taxes provided by the government

census - a survey that is taken by all those living in Canada

Census Comparison Assignment: 

Task

Research:  You will be given one province to research language rights on.  All statistics must be based on the 2021 Census or more recent stats.

Anglophone and Francophone Minorities in Canada

Instructions:

Respond to the questions in your section of the shared slide presentation

Current Information:  Find an article that explains language issues your province has had to deal with.  The more recent the more applicable it is to the topic today.

1. Respond to the question

• What is the official language of this province?

English Language Stats

• How many people speak English in this province?

• Is this a minority or a majority language?  Explain.

French Language Stats

• How many people speak French in this province?

• Is this a minority or a majority language?  Explain.

Other languages

• What other languages are spoken here?

• How do these numbers compare to the French and English population?

• What is the main reason these minority languages exist in this province?

Provincial Language Laws

• When did this province establish language laws?

• What was the name of the bill that outlined the language laws?

What are the key points of these laws:

• Street signs

• Advertising on storefronts

• Government letters

• More information if more is available

2. Presentation of Findings

• Create a short report (2-3 pages) summarizing your findings.

• Include charts or graphs to visually represent demographic changes.

• Use examples from history and policy to support your analysis.

Assessment Criteria:

• Accuracy and thoroughness of research

• Clarity and depth of analysis

• Use of data to support conclusions

• Organization and presentation of findings

• Engagement with discussion questions

3. Final Reflection

Respond to the individual questions attached to the assignment in Google Classroom

Data Interpretation and Analysis

• Looking at the statistics you gathered, what trends do you notice in language use over time? Do any patterns stand out to you?

• How do the statistics on language usage in your province compare to other provinces or territories in Canada?

• Based on the data, what do you predict for the future of language diversity in your province?

Personal Reflection

• After completing your research, how has your perspective on language rights and diversity in Canada changed?

• How would you feel if you were a member of a minority language community in your province? How might your experience differ from that of someone in the majority language group?

• Why is it important to protect and promote linguistic diversity in a multicultural society like Canada?

Resources:

• Statistics Canada (www.statcan.gc.ca)

• Historical Census Data Archive

• Government of Canada Language Policy Documents

  1. Bill 101 (Charter of French Language)

  2. Language Policy in Canada

4.3: The Indian Act and Indigenous Rights