It’s not census time in Canada, but one question has always been in my mind. What am I supposed to answer when they ask about my so-called “mother tongue?” Do I REALLY say that it’s Cantonese? Or should I say that it’s English? I feel like I’m lying either way, as I’m sure many children of immigrants do (the census defines “mother tongue” as “the first language learned at home in childhood, and still understood at the time of the census (mother tongue)”). I still SPEAK the language, or, at least, well enough to survive, but I cannot read nor can I watch the news. I definitely THINK in English and it is my default language – even though I didn’t exactly LEARN English until I started kindergarten. Why does the government assume that anyone who speaks one language well, especially if said language is an individual’s first (and isn’t English or French) would be fluent to the point that he/she can read, write and survive in his/her ancestral homeland? Or is this just another way to skew results so that non-official language programs can get more funding?
I realize that services in languages other than English and French are necessary, especially in larger cities like Toronto and Vancouver. People like my late maternal grandparents definitely needed it. But my parents? They might feel more comfortable speaking Cantonese, but they can survive much better in English than I can with Cantonese. In fact, I’m not sure if I can even “pass” for more than an hour if you dropped me in a non-tourist/expat part of Hong Kong, considering that I can’t read the language. While I can sort of communicate (ask where the bathroom is, order a simple meal of wonton and noodles with Hong Kong milk tea), I can’t understand an entire newscast. Or describe my symptoms in detail to a doctor (I can say “my head/stomach/etc… hurts” and the like, of course, but not in the way I can in English). I’m not sure if I can go shopping for clothing or beauty products. Or get spa services. I’m sorry, but I don’t know how to say “I’d like to book a mani and pedi next Saturday” completely in Cantonese. Yet, I’d be lying if I said that English was my “mother tongue” on census forms. And I feel like I’m lying if I’m answering the question “correctly” when I note my first language is Cantonese.
It’s probably too late to take any changes into consideration for 2016, but the government really needs to ask the language question in two parts. First, ask what one’s first language learned was, and then ask what language they are most comfortable speaking/is their “default” language. I’m sure results will be a bit different. However, there will still be enough incite to indicate where the need for non-official language services are. And it would better reflect how Canada REALLY is, linguistically speaking.
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