Comments on: Bilingual doesn’t mean French at Carleton http://blog.fagstein.com/2008/03/25/bilingual-doesnt-mean-french-at-carleton/ Can you think of a better name? Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:25:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: french panic http://blog.fagstein.com/2008/03/25/bilingual-doesnt-mean-french-at-carleton/comment-page-1/#comment-24282 french panic Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:09:31 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/2008/03/25/bilingual-doesnt-mean-french-at-carleton/#comment-24282 To add to princess iveylocks' comment - It seems that Carleton realized that the required French "credit" for graduating from the journalism program was silly anyway - a friend of mine graduated from that program 6 or so years ago, and the "required" French credit was kind of a joke. Besides, she had no intentions of staying in Canada - Carleton was a means to an end, and she faked it through her French classes quite successfully. AND she's working internationally for a well respected broadcaster. To add to princess iveylocks' comment - It seems that Carleton realized that the required French "credit" for graduating from the journalism program was silly anyway - a friend of mine graduated from that program 6 or so years ago, and the "required" French credit was kind of a joke. Besides, she had no intentions of staying in Canada - Carleton was a means to an end, and she faked it through her French classes quite successfully. AND she's working internationally for a well respected broadcaster.

]]> By: princess iveylocks http://blog.fagstein.com/2008/03/25/bilingual-doesnt-mean-french-at-carleton/comment-page-1/#comment-24244 princess iveylocks Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:25:37 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/2008/03/25/bilingual-doesnt-mean-french-at-carleton/#comment-24244 I have no problem with more Cantonese-speaking, Urdu-thinking, Hindu-understanding, Persian-informed coverage of world and Canadian issues. None at all, frankly. Functioning as a global journalist shouldn't require mastery of a language that isn't used much outside of Quebec, New Brunswick, France, and a handful of African countries. Carleton is to be applauded for realizing this, and providing the opportunity for students to specialize in other, equally relevant (and less harped-upon) languages that communities across Canada actually use outside of the classroom. The French/English binary is such a false, outdated representation of Canadian discourse, a mountainous molehill. I wish Graham Fraser understood that, or someone more attenuated to current national demographics was in his place. I have no problem with more Cantonese-speaking, Urdu-thinking, Hindu-understanding, Persian-informed coverage of world and Canadian issues. None at all, frankly.

Functioning as a global journalist shouldn't require mastery of a language that isn't used much outside of Quebec, New Brunswick, France, and a handful of African countries. Carleton is to be applauded for realizing this, and providing the opportunity for students to specialize in other, equally relevant (and less harped-upon) languages that communities across Canada actually use outside of the classroom.

The French/English binary is such a false, outdated representation of Canadian discourse, a mountainous molehill. I wish Graham Fraser understood that, or someone more attenuated to current national demographics was in his place.

]]> By: Martin http://blog.fagstein.com/2008/03/25/bilingual-doesnt-mean-french-at-carleton/comment-page-1/#comment-24218 Martin Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:10:35 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/2008/03/25/bilingual-doesnt-mean-french-at-carleton/#comment-24218 Gazette? Quebec? Try covering Ottawa City Council or neighbourhood beats in Ottawa without understanding French. Oh, wait, many professional journalists are doing that now, and are surprised or even insulted when they miss a lot of what's going on. Next time a bunch of Carleton journalism students come to me saying their professor told them to do an interview with me, I think I'll tell them they need to do it in French. Gazette? Quebec? Try covering Ottawa City Council or neighbourhood beats in Ottawa without understanding French. Oh, wait, many professional journalists are doing that now, and are surprised or even insulted when they miss a lot of what's going on. Next time a bunch of Carleton journalism students come to me saying their professor told them to do an interview with me, I think I'll tell them they need to do it in French.

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