Mandatory language test for new Canadian immigrants

I just read an article in the Toronto Star where this US born lawyer was objecting to having to take a language test before she could live in Canada. This also brought a wide range of comments on the subject, which you can see in the article...the link is below.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/838085--all-immigrants-f...

While I understand the lawyer's point (it's a given that a lawyer would have to be fully proficient in the English language), I believe that the language test should be applicable to everyone. I cannot be against immigration because without it my parents would not be in Canada and I would not be born in Canada. However, I do think these days that the immigration laws are getting extremely lax. It seems that the majority of the people that immigrate do not have a basic understanding of the English and, believe me, I witnessed it firsthand. I cannot understand how someone could be in Canada for years and years on end and not learn the language.

Do you believe that the Canadian immigration laws are too lax? Do you agree with this article?

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Permalink Reply by muka on November 19, 2010 at 8:12pm

I would understand an outrageous reaction coming from some investor/skilled worker that does not have full "mastery" of the English or French language when presented with such a test but for a Corporate Lawyer educated at Harvard it shouldn't be a problem. A simple walk in the park. Many times have I been confronted with individuals living and working in Canada that have a REALLY hard time communicating in either official languages. (I live in Montreal). Some people might see this as some kind of discrimination but I would see it as a simple GENERAL requirement that anyone who wishes to enter the country must fulfill. This would ensure that the individual entering the country would be capable of functioning within society without worrying about not being able to communicate with their fellow citizens.

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