I'm a young 19 year-old man from Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean. I study in the Cégep de Jonquière. I live in the most unilingual and sovereignist region of the Quebec province. I know how it is to live in a place where bilinguism is devalued. My friends don't speaks English, my parents don't either. I wasn't raised in a bilingual family.
However, I know that English is the international language of business. I know that I'm living in a bilingual country with a majority of native English speakers. I know that Quebec's southern neighboring country is the United States of America, world's third biggest country, the number one economic superpower, but also the richest country in the world.
I don't think that isolationist policies promoting unilinguism and hatred of the English language will encourage Quebec industries to be successful around the world. I'm a huge fan of the French language. This is a truely beautiful language with a old history. I don't think there's any contradiction in appreciating our language and use the English language in a daily basis in our professionnal life. No, I wasn't raised in a bilingual area. That's why I have to put more energy in learning English than people who have the chance to live in a bilingual environment.
