BC Schools: Mandarin & English, "BC's Official Language" ? "Or Did we just lose a Friggin War?"

Yeah,maybe if they are working in a Beijing starbucks! I see no problem with languages as I pride myself knowing three, English, French and Russian, but since we have lineups up the ying tang trying to find funding and space for parents trying to get their kids into french immersion as students, perhaps we should be filling those spaces with additional funding, rather than looking at trying to get another language into a curriculm dont ya think?  Languages are easier to learn if the parents speak it as well, if they do not the kid is going to lose it, unless you plunk him down in front of Mandarin TV, hey good luck with that, trying to compete with the Simpsons,Sesame Street and other popular programs.  Mandarin would surely lose on all fronts, with only a select few who would even speak a smattering of it. Kids have enough problems with printing letters and cursive writing, trying to get them to write chinese characters, would be a killer for them along with English or French.  Aint gonna happen Mike.!

Don't under estimate the power of young minds Barry.....just because you have a hardon about China in your last article write ups....Kids can do many things....and they want to learn. I have been studying Chinese now 7 years and there are ways to say things that is much faster than the American Canadian English way of saying things.. Our school in fact just got two Canadian Students from Canada who are my students now.......Chinese is a fascinating language and a very old one. In fact Chinese is so diverse it has more than 56 different dialects...Putonghua or mandarin was nationalized so there would be a common Chinese language...but most chinese in China speak several dialects of different Chinese language to include Putonghua.  Many Chinese would not be able to understand each other without the accepted Putonghua.

Well Mr. Bally have you ever considered that no one masters a language? I know I can find words you don't know without looking up. In case you didn't know many chinese do live in Canada these days, and wouldn't it be a good idea if cultural relationships could communicate freely by having the ability to speak chinese? Do you want to compare how many English people there are compared to Chinese who speak Putonghua? There are more people in the world who speak chinese than English.....and since kids pick things up and remember them at an early age it would be a good idea for kids to have the exposure. I know when I was a kid a wanted to learn chinese... It was something different and I wanted to learn the chinese characters.. But there was no place to learn Chinese in New York..I was forced to learn Spanish which I was not interested in learning in order to graduate from High School.

Also you big freedom exploiters are always saying give people a choice, then why do you force kids to only learn English and French....Maybe they want to learn chinese....

And don't give me the third degree Bally I know the mindset in the US and especially in the North Country with your kind of talk in degrading other countries especially the Chinese...and engraining into their minds false lies about their ways and traditions....I heard it all the time from my Grandfather.....and other closed minded community people..

If you call the language of Business and Commerce only English you are dreaming. Get off your lazy one way street and start to live in the real world for a change....Ya might understand another persons culture, another persons reason for being on this earth.

I also take offense to the Pics Barry used in accusing people in being Morons..That is a personal attack.....

Rev.

Thanks Bally and Djermano for your comments and flag, firstly what you fail to understand djermano is Canada! Secondly you may lack an understanding of Asian International Business Culture, Thirdly, you should know by now, I do not write diatribes without checking facts first, in fact it is rare I write about anything without first having first hand knowledge on the subject or having researched it first.  Because you teach religious studies to children and people in China does not really give you insight into International Asian Business Culture, or Canada's political landscape when it comes to our Official Languages Act.

The political ramifications of integrating Mandarin into BC as an official language would be to say the least a political nightmare.  You have to read our Canadian Constitution to understand.  Our country has two official languages French and English.  Quebec has always fought to maintain it's cultural identity and protect it's language within Quebec and in Canada.  It is currently quite the long struggle, hence why we have many splintered political parties such as the Action Democratic and Block Quebec.  For British Columbia to go off on its own and start it's own Country, because lets face it that is what they are doing, as BC feels they are different will piss off many including me whose taxes are paid into this province.  Currently there are parents in BC frustrated at the lack of French Immersion classes and schools in this province, in that once a seat for a student opens up, parents line up to get their kid into this class. So for a province whose federal transfer  payments (taxes) both Federal and Provincial go to BC for schooling,  in which funding for French immersion is lacking is bad enough, but to begin to devise a scheme to replace French with Mandarin with my  and Canadian tax dollars will surely start a pissing match, which will reach all the way to Quebec.  

Many feel this province SOLD us OUT to CHINA for ETHNIC VOTES, and I for one agree BIG TIME!

When a 400 year old founding  Peoples such as Quebec are put by the wayside as a language in favour for a relative 30 year old Newcomer as Mandarin, that my friend will make for an interesting political debate across Canada. Our Law of the Land States two official Languages, and Mandarin is not one of them.   

You are correct though, Mandarin is a major business language, unfortunately Asians prefer to deal with Asians, regardless if a White Person knows the language, it is not racial on China's part, that is just the way it is. 

Just because Whitey can speak Mandarin does not mean Whitey can ingratiate him or herself into Hong Kong business circles, if you think so, you are as delusional as this Idiotic woman who thinks learning a language, without understanding a Asian Business Culture so far removed from ours is the way to go.

My girlfriend who speaks both Mandarin and Cantonese opened my friggin eyes on the world of Asian business as she spent many a time in Hong Kong on business, though she derides many in Canada as FOTB (Fresh off the Boat) from the RPC (Republic of China), they deride her for being a Banana, (White on the inside Chinese on the outside).   As a business woman in product marketing (including food) for big corporation internationally she knows what she speaks having to deal with many Pacific Asian countries. Hence why I can write about this, when her decades of previous insights on her travels and business discussions allows me to do so. 

One more tidbit, Because of the past conflicts, even today,  Filipinos do not like to deal with Chinese, Chinese do not like to deal with Vietnamese and Japanese, Japanese do not like to deal with either. Like I said, my girlfriend says cultures prefer to deal within their own kind and only will deal with us if beneficial to them, not us Period, so regardless if you speak Mandarin, if you are not of the culture and do not understand their Business Culture, you'd best just hire an intermediary to do your business deals for you, otherwise you are just spinning your wheels in a sewer of political correctness no one including China want no part of.  That my friend is the price of doing business in China.

As for me having a hard on with China, Hell Yeah, if a Culture can build a friggin Thousand kilometer wall across a country to last a thousand years, how come all of a sudden they can't build a Fu*kin Toaster that can actually make Toast.

So in ending my friend, just because you speak the language and live in China, does not give you insight into International Business or Canadian Politics.  Though my friend, I do respect you for your insights as always and thank you for your comments.

Because you teach religious studies to children and people in China does not really give you insight into International Asian Business Culture, or Canada's political landscape when it comes to our Official Languages Act. .....and Barry I do not teach religion everyday in China...only to older kids who want to know. And the reason I am learning chinese is so I do have more insight into International Asian Business culture.. I have been at it for 7 years, much longer than you which you  don't live in China and you are telling me about China from your girlfriend? That's quite a song and dance .

The political ramifications of integrating Mandarin into BC as an official language would be to say the least a political nightmare. 

....Let's be clear here Barry...No where in your article did you mention Mandarin as an official language. The title mentions it; but nothing in the article. The way I read it is about offering Chinese for language classes in primary school. That is a far cry than official language requirements. And your argument about having French and English is quite limited. Seems to me Russian, German, and many more choices would allow freedom to choice. Chinese would also find its interest as well.  Also Barry classes are more advanced these days, with the ability to learn languages online.....so this issue of seating kids to me is theatrics.

You have to read our Canadian Constitution to understand.  Our country has two official languages French and English.  Quebec has always fought to maintain it's cultural identity and protect it's language within Quebec and in Canada.  It is currently quite the long struggle, hence why we have many splintered political parties such as the Action Democratic and Block Quebec.  For British Columbia to go off on its own and start it's own Country, because lets face it that is what they are doing, as BC feels they are different will piss off many including me whose taxes are paid into this province.  Currently there are parents in BC frustrated at the lack of French Immersion classes and schools in this province, in that once a seat for a student opens up, parents line up to get their kid into this class. So for a province whose federal transfer  payments (taxes) both Federal and Provincial go to BC for schooling,  in which funding for French immersion is lacking is bad enough, but to begin to devise a scheme to replace French with Mandarin with my  and Canadian tax dollars will surely start a pissing match, which will reach all the way to Quebec.  

....I am quite aware of the French factor to include Quebec. And no time did I ever suggest Mandarin to be an official language in Canada.  You must be burping on your oatmeal soaked in Molson Ale. Learning a language is about further individual education which improves a persons communication ability. And getting the young kids exposed to lots of languages is only a plus for Canada.

Many feel this province SOLD us OUT to CHINA for ETHNIC VOTES, and I for one agree BIG TIME!

When a 400 year old founding  Peoples such as Quebec are put by the wayside as a language in favour for a relative 30 year old Newcomer as Mandarin, that my friend will make for an interesting political debate across Canada. Our Law of the Land States two official Languages, and Mandarin is not one of them.   

......I think you are fretting over spilled milk that hasn't been spilled yet....

You are correct though, Mandarin is a major business language, unfortunately Asians prefer to deal with Asians, regardless if a White Person knows the language, it is not racial on China's part, that is just the way it is. 

.....that is not the way it is Barry. Do you feel the same about an Asian who speaks English and you shut them out because they are not your culture? That is stereotyping big time.. Most of the reason whites don't fit in is because they don't want to be part of the Asian fold culture....So Asian's do not take them serious... This is another reason to do everything you can to learn the language......so to have more of an open society.

Just because Whitey can speak Mandarin does not mean Whitey can ingratiate him or herself into Hong Kong business circles, if you think so, you are as delusional as this Idiotic woman who thinks learning a language, without understanding a Asian Business Culture so far removed from ours is the way to go.....Hong Kong business is not the same as Mainland China Barry. They are two different societies. In fact Hong Kong is more Western formated because the Brits stole it from China....and their western ideals are like you...isolation......you stay in your backyard...we stay in ours.

My girlfriend who speaks both Mandarin and Cantonese opened my friggin eyes on the world of Asian business as she spent many a time in Hong Kong on business, though she derides many in Canada as FOTB (Fresh off the Boat) from the RPC (Republic of China), they deride her for being a Banana, (White on the inside Chinese on the outside).   As a business woman in product marketing (including food) for big corporation internationally she knows what she speaks having to deal with many Pacific Asian countries. Hence why I can write about this, when her decades of previous insights on her travels and business discussions allows me to do so. ....

Barry she is also a woman and you know as well as I that woman are not treated the same as men. So don't compare and assume you know everything because she is chinese. All chinese are different. I happen to like the Mainland Chinese because they are more friendly.

One more tidbit, Because of the past conflicts, even today,  Filipinos do not like to deal with Chinese, Chinese do not like to deal with Vietnamese and Japanese, Japanese do not like to deal with either.

You are wrong Barry....I have seen many Chinese  have trade relationships with many people in the world. Vietnam stores are in China along with Korean, and Thailand. I have met several Japanese in China with many of their products being sold here.

Like I said, my girlfriend says cultures prefer to deal within their own kind and only will deal with us if beneficial to them, not us Period, so regardless if you speak Mandarin, if you are not of the culture and do not understand their Business Culture, you'd best just hire an intermediary to do your business deals for you, otherwise you are just spinning your wheels in a sewer of political correctness no one including China want no part of.  That my friend is the price of doing business in China.......And I disagree. You reinforce the hate and bigotry with your statements.

As for me having a hard on with China, Hell Yeah, if a Culture can build a friggin Thousand kilometer wall across a country to last a thousand years, how come all of a sudden they can't build a Fu*kin Toaster that can actually make Toast. ......Come on Barry and so may I ask why can't Canadians make them? Actually chinese don't eat toast....that is a western idea forced on them to make for you... They eat other things in the morning that is much more delicious.

So in ending my friend, just because you speak the language and live in China, does not give you insight into International Business or Canadian Politics. ......You are really not thinking clearly my friend.

 Though my friend, I do respect you for your insights as always and thank you for your comments. U're welcome.....Hope you see the light sometime.

Rev. Jermano