Re: Just how bad is the UK?
 

Exactly my point, the British Quiz is a parrot fashion learning exercise with a lot of silly questions which the average British person would not know and some do not even have the right answers in the text book !

Re: Just how bad is the UK?
 

I think it to be true that, in a typical day, I meet more Canadians who do not speak English or French than ones who do. (This can be rather fun, I spent a very jolly morning trying to explain the concept of a sailing boat to the coffee shop lady. She fetched several relatives but none of them knew "sail", "wind", "boat", "paddle" and so on, even with the actions.) It's perfectly possible to function here without knowing either of those languages as there are very many ethnic communties large enough to have newspapers, radio stations and the like. One can even obtain a degree from several Canadian institutions using an interpreter.

It may be that we think citizens should speak the local language but very many do not. That's why the government offers services in dozens of languages.

Re: Just how bad is the UK?
 

It's reality that many people don't choose to learn the language, but I would still make it a precondition for citizenship. That's not to say people oughtn't to be allowed access to Canada because they can't speak English.

A wrote ages ago that you cannot expect a language to be learnt over night, and it's great that government is pragmatic and adapts to the needs of the people they have to serve. Yet, it would be great if everyone could speak a common language and I guess that's why we have official languages.

If people choose not to take up Citizenship because they won't learn a language, fine, it's their choice.

Ik kan ook en bijtcher Nederlands spraken - I can even speak some Dutch after 7 years here ;)

Re: Just how bad is the UK?
 

After three months work in Amsterdam I knew the Dutch for several greetings, some beer related terms, and "be cautious of high voltage". None of which have subsequently proven valuable. Great fun though, I wish I could swing another shortish job there.

Re: Just how bad is the UK?
 

Nice people the Dutch, very different to the Flemish in most respects. I've never been to Amsterdam though - I imagine it's quite good fun!

Re: Just how bad is the UK?
 

Absolutely.

The great thing about working there for a while was that it was long enough to get beyond the obvious tourist things and to fall in with the locals and their customs (always pay cash, never tip). I took my mistress and we had a wonderful time. Fabulous aquarium, Van Goch Museum, vlamm, cafes. At one point we moved to the seaside (to that unpronounceable place, saying the name of which was a wartime test of being Dutch) and I commuted by car. We stayed in a rickety haunted type old hotel until it got cold when we went back to the Swissotel where, thanks to being frequent stayers, we were upgraded to a suite overlooking Dam Square.

One of the better assignments. It made up for all those trips to godforsaken bits of the world such as Milton Keynes and Glasgow.

Re: Just how bad is the UK?
 

I had not forgoteen the family class people. It was in response to an earlier post that suggested every immigrant must be able to speak English or French or they would not get into the country.

Not being able to speak English or French might be fine if you do not plan on living/working outside of your ethnic group. It is a problem though if you plan to work in a retail store. I find it quite annoying to speak to a member of staff who has so little English or French that they have no idea what I am asking.

I still dont think an interpretor should be allowed at the citizenship exam. It defeats the point of "having enough English to deal with day to day life" testing.

Re: Just how bad is the UK?
 

You speaking English English, or Glaswegian? ;)
Hell, I have a hard time understanding Glaswegian!


I would have a problem handing out citizenships to anyone who has not integrated to at least the point that they understand and can get by in one of the official languages, and as far as Im concerned the citizenship test is basically only there to determin that...and to teach us that Ontario and Quebec are "Central Canada", so they we can correct Willmore when she insists on refering to them as Eastern Canada:)

Re: Just how bad is the UK?
 

I'm used to it. It would be infeasible to learn all the languages spoken by people in retail stores so we get by with pointing and smiling. It's only at the market that people consistently speak English. That's just as well as I've no chance of miming a request for a "bag of dog bones".

Re: Just how bad is the UK?
 

Please try. And post photos.

Re: Just how bad is the UK?
 

Weisst Du, dass wenn du bist aelter als 55 Jahre, du brauchst kein Burgerschaftsprufung schreiben?

Re: Just how bad is the UK?
 

Oui, mais son non droit.


:confused: Burgerschaftsprufung? :confused:

Re: Just how bad is the UK?
 

Quoi? Novo's German makes more sense to me than that and I don't speak any German.

Re: Just how bad is the UK?
 

"Yes, if you dress to the left"

Re: Just how bad is the UK?
 

Yes, but its not right?


You can apply that to Novos comment about citizenship...or my shity french! Fortunatley I get by with English.

Wrong "right" perhaps. I suck at languages. I got 6% in a German exam once! (and then dropped it in favour of Music, which I was only slightly better at!)