Quote:
Originally Posted by shreddog
To me, language is a temporary aspect of our society, as such I feel the government should not dictate the language of business. That said, the language of government - for now - is English and all businesses need to support that. If, in 50 years, the majority language in Vancouver, BC or Canada is Chinese, then the language of government will be that and our descendants will live in that language. I personally don't care if English, or French, disappears in Canada within the next X generations. It just reflects the continued evolution of our society.
Will the US still be an English country in 100 years or Spanish speaking one? Who knows and who cares. Language does not define a society, it is merely a tool to communicate.
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You are underestimating everything that modern societies have put in place in order to make themselves perennial. Today's societies are much more organized and controlled when it comes to officialdom. A huge part of this are our education systems.
In the absence of major social upheaval like warfare or something cataclysmic, most places will be evolving from the base they have at the moment, as opposed to making a 180-degree turn.
The transformation of Dantzig into Gdansk in a few decades is not going to happen in Canada, no matter what.
Taking the classic example on our landmass, Miami is not going to be a city that functions in Spanish like Montreal functions in French. It will be an American city that functions in English with a strong, distinctive Latin American feel. Just like Lafayette, Louisiana is an American city that functions in English with a strong, distinctive French/Acadian/Cajun feel.
As for Vancouver, it could become an ethnically Chinese majority city I guess but barrring an annexation by the PRC, Chinese will never be the predominant language of the city. The vast majority of young Chinese-Canadians that grow up in Vancouver can't even read Chinese!