One Canada, two languages

你說Good Morning,我說Bonjour。

英語、法語為楓葉之國平添許多樂趣。

CANADA is one of the few nations in the world to have two official languages: English and French. There are 10 provinces in the country but only one of these - Quebec (魁北克省) - is known as "French Canada". This is because it was founded by French explorers while British adventurers discovered the rest.

Canada left the British empire in 1867 to become an independent country, and English and French have been recognized as the official languages ever since.

Most people speak English as their first language and the two national television networks broadcast in English throughout the country.

Apart from in Quebec and a few places on the east coast, French television is very rare.

The same goes for traffic signs and menus (菜單), for example. Outside of Quebec, there are only a few places where youll see traffic signs in French. And in restaurants, its almost impossible to find French on the menu unless you are in the heartland of French Canada. However, all products sold in Canada must, by law, have labels and instructions in both languages.

In Canadas English-speaking provinces, official bilingualism (雙語) means that students can choose to complete a special French language course. Under this programme, they are taught most of their subjects in French.

If a student begins the course in kindergarten or Grade One, it is likely that all their lessons will be in French. However, if they start at junior high school, 25 per cent of the teaching will continue to be in English.

Classroom link for Senior book II unit 7