Saskatchewan anglophone family immerses children in French at home

It can be difficult to maintain the French language in Canada, especially Saskatchewan. According to the last census, fewer than 50,000 people in the province report being able to speak French. While some francophone communities struggle to keep the language alive in their family, one anglophone family in Saskatchewan has done their part to promote French.

Bill Johnson, who lives in Regina, decided to speak only French to his four children as they grew up. He had taken classes in high school and university and was fluent. He spoke strictly French to his children whether he was just having a conversation with them, disciplining them or out in public. His wife understood what he said in French, but made it her job to speak only English to the children.

"They were going to get English in the school and the world around them," Bill said. "They weren't going to get French unless I took it on."

His now adult son, Eric Johnson, realizes how unique his situation was. At the time, it just seemed like his life. 

The first time Eric heard his father speak English directly to him was on the golf course one day. "He turned to me and said, 'Well, now that you're 18 I suppose we can speak English.'"

Some may find it challenging to never speak their first language to their children, but Bill was adamant. His children soaked it up like sponges. He stubbornly stuck to French for a number of reasons, including intellectual stimulation and his strong belief in the benefits of a bilingual nation.

"[It] opens your mind and your life to another culture, another way of looking at the world," he said. "My objective was to enable my kids to understand through the lens of the other solitude, at least to a limited extent, how they were viewing our nation. It was my little way of trying to further Canadian citizenship in Saskatchewan."

Even news sources, he said, have different interpretations on events depending on whether they are French or English media. He wanted his children to have access to it all. 

Eric feels the same. He said understanding French has added a richness to his life that has helped him and he will continue passing it on to his new daughter.

"On the micro level I feel like it's been fun, and it's been useful," Eric said, listing employment and travelling as the main ways French has helped him. "I'd like to impart that to my kids and my daughter."