Chinatowns in Canada and the United States are marked by cultural hybridity, where the translation of various types, verbal and non-verbal, takes place to produce distinct urban meanings. On the basis of an ethnographic observation, this article reveals the role of translation in the signification and imagination of Chinatowns. Cultural diaspora…

Language is often used to demonstrate group membership and to establish cultural identity. When the language is not readily available or is at risk, individuals tend to turn to other markers to develop their cultural identity. Using Leximancer for thematic and conceptual analyses of interviews with ten accomplished musicians in Nova Scotia,…

Despite recognising multilingualism as a reality and multilingual workforce as an advantage, language policies continue to favour certain languages over others. Using a case study of Canada's language-in-immigration policy related to three federally administered immigration programs, this study is an attempt to understand how the macro-level…

This paper examines the persistent, growing popularity of Canadian French immersion (FI) programmes. Critics charge that FI programmes are elitist, diverting already limited resources from other areas of the education system. We begin with a brief overview of the benefits of FI in Canada and enrolment trends. Next, sources of FI-related inequality…

Conceptions of identity in multilingual multicultural societies still seem to be dominated by the perception that human beings are born into social locations and categories of ethnicity that are pre-existing. This fails to acknowledge the current reality for the progeny of interracial marriages, who may find themselves belonging neither to their…

The present study examined the practice of language brokering (LB) among South Asian Canadian college-age adults and how such practice relates to acculturation to mainstream and heritage cultures, as well as personal empowerment. One hundred and twenty-four young adults reported on three different indices of LB (brokering frequency, diversity of…

Using data from ethnographic studies of the use of French and English in Ontario and Quebec in a variety of settings during 1978-90, this paper discusses language choice as a political strategy, especially for ethnic mobilization. Codeswitching is described in terms of individual communicative repertoires and community speech economies. (41…

Examines the competing principles of territoriality and personality as key concepts in the provision of language-related services and rights in multilingual societies. Drawing on recent legislative and sociopolitical change in Belgium, Quebec, and Canada, the extent to which the adoption of such principles increases or neutralizes language-related…

This paper discusses the political, or ideological, use of official languages (English and French) data in Canada. A more pragmatic use of official languages data would enable policy actors to better address the unequal relations between English and French. Specific suggestions are made in order to move the debate in that direction. (Contains 7…