[truemiester]

I guess, based on your numbers, we had all learn to speak Chinese!

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

"I guess, based on your numbers, we had all learn to speak Chinese!"

It probably wouldn't be a bad idea.

One argument put forward by people who support official bilingualism in Canada (English and French) is that learning a second language provides one with greater opportunities. That's true in Ontario and Quebec, where the greater opportunities involve working for the federal government.

However, in the west, we have far more Canadians of Chinese or Indian extraction than we do Francophones. Most of our trade (after the U.S.) is with Pacific Rim countries. Then there's NAFTA. Learning Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Spanish, or Hindi makes more sense than learning French for business purposes. (Trade with France is less than 1% of our total trade.)