Language is an important part of our society. Throughout this blog series on newcomer youth, we have discussed the relationship between language and the settlement experience. In this blog, I will talk about the ways in which language affects newcomers in Canada, exploring life inside the classroom and at home.
As of November 2012, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) announced new language requirements for those wishing to apply for Canadian citizenship. All applicants between the ages of 18 and 54 will have to demonstrate their ability to speak English or French using the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) as the measure of proficiency. There has been much reaction to the new changes, but Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is optimistic about what it will mean for Canada’s future.
“Extensive research has consistently shown that the ability to communicate effectively in either French or English is a key factor in the success of new citizens in Canada,” said Kenney. “We believe it is important that new citizens be able to participate fully in our economy and our society.”
Aside from the importance of language as a way of participating in society and the labour market, language remains an important issue to newcomer youth because there is pressure placed on them to learn and adopt local accents. With this being the case, language can be used by these youth as a way to blend in with their peers and society. However, when this is not the case, language can become one of the various challenges related to the settlement experience. Jael Patrick, 18, knows this struggle all too well. Having moved to Canada at age 12, Jael recently sat down with me for an interview and recalled some of these early experiences. “When you first go to class, your accent, that’s number one, people kind of notice you because you’re new.” As if being the new kid in any situation isn’t hard enough, being the new kid in a different country can be a much more stressful predicament.
The use of language as a tool of acceptance outside the home can have negative effects on relationships within the home. I remember moving to Canada as a young girl, and whenever my mom or dad would call me, it was expected that I responded by either saying “yes, mom?” or, “yes, dad?” But as we adjusted to life here in Canada and I started developing a Canadian accent, somewhere along the way that response was reduced to a simple, “yeah?” Even though this is not the way my parents had raised me to answer to them, this was not seen as a sign of defiance or disrespect; instead, they understood this response to be a reflection of me adjusting to life in Canada. Luckily, my parents understood, but for some youth with parents that aren’t as open to change, walking the fine line between what is acceptable and what is not can be uneasy. Parents who are unfamiliar with certain terms may interpret language as rude and this can put a strain on the relationship between parent and child.
Language can also affect the parent-child relationship in another way that is especially unique to immigrant parents who do not speak languages that are easily accessible through translators, such as French, Italian, Arabic, Spanish, etc. This can create a problematic situation where the parent-child roles are reversed and the child is in a position where he/she is exerting power over the parent(s) by acting as their link to Canadian society. This can have damaging results for both the parent(s) and child. In a situation where a child might be having a hard time in school and a teacher or school administrator calls home to speak with a parent, with the child as the main translator, there could remain an ongoing problem of which parents are completely unaware.
The importance that language carries in our society is evident all around us. Canada is becoming a society in which the need for one to effectively communicate is increasing and the consequences for those who are unable to is resulting in their voice remaining unheard. The threat and consequences of this to the ‘voiceless’ members of society is further multiplied when speaking of newcomers in general, but particularly so for newcomer youth.