Bilingualism forum touches on anglophone input, education

A standing-room-only crowd turned out for a forum in Moncton onTuesday about anti-bilingualism, but one panellist said he wished moreanglophones had turned up.

Organizers said francophonesfelt a rise in anti-bilingual sentiment in recent months, and they wanted to start discussions about bridging the gap with other New Brunswickers.

More than 100 people attended the event at LeCoudebar at the University of Moncton.There was such interest in the discussion that somepeople were turned away at the door.

The attendees included politicians from various parties, leaders of interest groups, university professors, students and members of the general public.

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But there appeared to be no one from the anglophone community, something organizers are hoping to change for future gatherings.

"Where are theanglophone intellectuals, the university professors, the community leaders?" asked history professor Maurice Basque, one of the eight panellists at the event.

"Since the beginning,bilingualismhas been the fight ofAcadians. It's not like the environment that's everyone's battle. We're not there yet.After half a century, are we to realize that it is our 'problem?'

"It's a failure of sorts."

Although promotion of theforum didn't target anglophone groups, the event wasopen to the public. It wasorganized by the Canadian Institute for Research on Linguistic Minorities, theuniversity'sschool of public policy, the New Brunswick Acadian Society and theInternational Network ofSenghorChairs of LaFrancophonie.

Basque said the discussion was a good exercise, and more people came than organizers were expecting.

He believes future forums should involvethe anglophone community.

"I always felt I would be interested to hear what my colleagues at Mount Allison, at UNB, St. Thomas what do they think, what are their ideas?" he said.

"After these 50 years, can we arrive at a new consensus? Can we arrive maybe at a new social contract betweenanglophonesandAcadians?"

Education talk

During the panel, there was talk about New Brunswick's education system, and whether there is a better way for anglophones to learn French.

"We know there's an interest from the anglophone population to learn French, be it by curiosity or because they see it as an important skill," said Stephanie Chouinard, assistant professor at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont.

There was some debate whether changes need to be made to the education system or if the changes should be outside the classrooms.

"Obviously, it goes through education first, and immersion programs are fundamental to this, but that's not sufficient. I think cultural exchanges would be another way to put flesh around the bone in a sense, to get them invested in our culture."

Chouinard saidfrancophones have a role to play too.

"We know we all have a tendency to switch to English when an anglophone addresses us in French that's a badhabit. We should try to help them and engage with them in that language."

Tuesday's event was the first of what organizers hope will be several discussions around the province to better understand what they call the "anti-bilingual feeling" and try to find solutions.

In a news release after the discussion, panellist and co-organizerChristopheTraisnelsaidfrancophonesneed to make themselves heard and "to fight against being bullied as a community."

Other panellists wereJoseph Yvon Thriault, Isabelle Violette, Mathieu Wade, Michelle Landry and rik Labelle Eastaugh.

Another forum is planned for Sunday in Inkerman,on the Acadian Peninsula.