Tighter language requirements will help immigrants and Canada
April 27, 2013. 9:59 am • Section: The Search, Immigration

It’s hard to learn a new language. An internal 2012 Immigration Canada report has revealed a rising proportion of immigrants, more than 600,000, work in Canada in a language other than English and French. And most of them, 60 per cent, say they cannot carry on a conversation in either of Canada’s official languages.

Stories regarding language barriers have become common in Canada.

The newcomer struggling to speak English who, as a result, has grave trouble trying to get a job.

 Brossard Chinatown

À Brossard, plus d’un habitant sur dix est d’origine chinoise, soit la plus forte concentration pour une ville québécoise. Explorez les multiples facettes de cette communauté à travers les regards de cinq personnages. Une expérience interactive en français, en anglais et en chinois simplifié qui vous plonge au cœur de Brossard Chinatown.

In Brossard, more than one out of 10 residents are of Chinese origin, the highest concentration for a city in Quebec. Explore the many facets of this community through the profiles of different people. This interactive experience in English, French and simplified Chinese takes you to the heart of Brossard Chinatown.

Dean Bicknell/Postmedia News
Just name it, and we have it here, in Canada, the land of 200 languages — including the two official ones. No matter where people are originally from, nearly 90% of us primarily speak English or French at home.

Multiculturalism in its controversial glory: Is Canada a ‘country without a core culture’?
Joe O’Connor | Oct 24, 2012 9:31 PM ET | Last Updated: Oct 24, 2012 9:32 PM ET
More from Joe O’Connor | @oconnorwrites

Dean Bicknell/Postmedia News
Just name it, and we have it here, in Canada, the land of 200 languages — including the two official ones. No matter where people are originally from, nearly 90% of us primarily speak English or French at home.

J.R. Almerol, a manager at Basha Foods International, says he has noticed that younger family members are less likely to keep up with their Filipino heritage by speaking the Filipino language Tagalog. The most recent census has showed an increase in second language speakers other than French.
Photograph by: Gavin Young , Calgary Herald

Rise of immigrant tongues makes Calgary a global city
Statistics Canada report says many speak Punjabi, Spanish and Chinese dialects
By Sherri Zickefoose, Calgary Herald October 25, 2012

J.R. Almerol, a manager at Basha Foods International, says he has noticed that younger family members are less likely to keep up with their Filipino heritage by speaking the Filipino language Tagalog. The most recent census has showed an increase in second language speakers other than French.
Photograph by: Gavin Young , Calgary Herald

CALGARY — Located along Barlow Trail in the city’s northeast stand two staples of Canadian taste: Tim Hortons and McDonald’s.

But tucked behind them, an international hub offers a different flavour of Calgary’s increasingly multicultural makeup.