French remains extremely fragile

Re: Bill 101 working in Quebec, study says, June 25.

Until the beginning of the 19th century, the language of Ireland was Gaelic.

Then came the Great Famine and the need to survive economically by forging strong relationship with Ireland’s prosperous colonial overlord, England, and learn the language of the majority. Gaelic disappeared from the public life by the end of that century.

Today, only about four per cent of Ireland’s 4.5 million people use Gaelic, or Irish as it is called in the republic, in their daily life.

Although French in Quebec has not reached that stage, it remains extremely fragile. Seven million francophones in Quebec are not only a minority vis-à-vis 25 million English-speakers in Canada, they also live next door to 300 million English-speaking Americans whose linguistic and cultural influence permeate Canadian society.

Economic imperatives, like those in Ireland, are also behind the dominance of English in North America.

Without any conscious efforts, French might face the fate of Irish and francophones might become a rural minority in Quebec.

Seen in this light, the struggle for survival of French in the English-speaking sea of North America assumes a cosmic importance.

Quebec will always need Bill 101 to retain its French language and culture in the dominant Anglo-America.

Mahmood Elahi, Ottawa