EDITORIAL: Speaking of having a love of language . . .
Learning an additional language opens so many doors at so many levels.
Those who can speak more than one language can attest to this, as can parents who have children who are immersed in learning a language other than English.
Be it for future career opportunities or for better travel experiences, there simply is no downside to adding languages to one’s intellectual repertoire.
Statistics Canada this week released language data from 2011 census and it shows, to the surprise of nobody, Kamloops remains an English-dominant community.
In fact, the breakdown of languages spoken in homes in Kamloops has not really changed since the last census in 2006.
However, it is interesting to note about one in almost nine people in the Kamloops census area cite a language other than English or French as their mother tongue.
After English and French, the languages of German, Punjabi and Italian are most-commonly spoken in the city, followed by Chinese languages and Arabic.
While not representing as rich a dialect domain as is encountered on the Lower Mainland, the fact 1,200 people in the area cite French as their mother tongue and another 8,400 speak one of an assortment of other languages does show the Kamloops region is not as linguistically bland as, perhaps, some may believe.
From French immersion schools to an array of language electives available in our high schools, exercising the tongue and brain while expanding our communication skills can only enhance our lives.
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