Why does Canada have two official languages?

Read this article in 4 levels: Basic A1 (英検3級), Intermediate B1(英検2級), Advanced C1(英検1級), original version. Multiple choice content questions for each level. Free English reading practice. The more you read in English, the more your English will improve. Why does Canada have two official languages?

A1 Beginner 英検3 級
 B1 Interm ediate 英検2級
 C1 Advanced 英検1級
 Origi nal article

Basic A1 (英検3級) Version:

Article: Why does Canada have two official languages? Canada has English and French because of its history with France and Britain.

Canada is not the only country with more than one official language. Many countries have more than one language because of their history. Canada’s official languages, English and French, come from European countries that colonized Canada. The French were the first Europeans to come to Canada in 1534, and the British came in 1610. The French built settlements and spoke French, while the British spoke English. Over time, the British defeated the French and took control of Canada, but the French people kept speaking their language.

In 1744, Britain passed the Quebec Act, which allowed the French to keep their language, culture, and religion. This was to stop them from joining the American War of Independence. Canada became one country in 1867, and French and English were allowed to be used in the government. But it was only in 1969 that Canada officially made French and English the official languages of the whole country.

Questions:

Why does Canada have two official languages?
a) Because of trade
b) Because of its history with France and Britain
c) Because of tourism
d) Because of its location
Which two languages are official in Canada?
a) English and Spanish
b) French and German
c) English and French
d) French and Italian
Who were the first Europeans to arrive in Canada?
a) The British
b) The Spanish
c) The French
d) The Germans
When did the French first arrive in Canada?
a) 1534
b) 1608
c) 1610
d) 1744
What did Britain do in 1744 to keep peace with French speakers?
a) Made them speak English
b) Forced them to leave
c) Passed the Quebec Act allowing them to keep their language and culture
d) Made them learn Spanish
When did Canada become one country?
a) 1608
b) 1744
c) 1867
d) 1969
What did the Constitution Act do in 1867?
a) Made Canada a colony
b) Allowed French and English to be used in government
c) Forced everyone to speak English
d) Ended trade with Britain
When did French and English officially become Canada’s languages?
a) 1867
b) 1969
c) 1744
d) 1534
Why did the British want to keep the French speakers happy during the American War of Independence?
a) To avoid rebellion
b) To make them leave
c) To trade more
d) To learn French
What is the Quebec Act?
a) A trade law
b) A law allowing French culture and language to continue
c) A war declaration
d) A sports rule

Answers:

b) Because of its history with France and Britain
c) English and French
c) The French
a) 1534
c) Passed the Quebec Act allowing them to keep their language and culture
c) 1867
b) Allowed French and English to be used in government
b) 1969
a) To avoid rebellion
b) A law allowing French culture and language to continue

Intermediate B1 (英検2級) Version:

Article: Why does Canada have two official languages? Canada’s two official languages, English and French, result from European colonialism.

Canada is one of over 30 countries with more than one official language, many of which have this due to colonial history. Canada’s situation is unique because both official languages—English and French—are colonial languages rather than indigenous ones. While indigenous languages are not official, Canada passed the Indigenous Languages Act in 2019 to support their preservation.

The French were the first Europeans to arrive in Canada in 1534, and the British arrived soon after, in 1610. Over time, Britain defeated France in various conflicts, taking control of the French settlements. Despite British rule, French culture and language persisted, especially in Quebec. The Quebec Act of 1744 allowed French-speaking citizens to maintain their language, religion, and civil laws to prevent rebellion, especially during the American War of Independence.

Canada became a united country in 1867 under the Constitution Act, which allowed both French and English in government. However, it wasn’t until 1969 that both languages became official under the Official Languages Act, ensuring that Canada’s bilingual heritage was preserved.

Questions:

Why does Canada have two official languages?
a) Because of a trade agreement
b) Due to European colonial history
c) Because of geographical location
d) Due to recent changes
Which two languages are official in Canada?
a) English and Spanish
b) English and French
c) French and German
d) Spanish and Portuguese
When did the French first arrive in Canada?
a) 1534
b) 1610
c) 1744
d) 1867
What was Britain’s strategy to avoid rebellion among French speakers?
a) Forcing them to speak English
b) Allowing them to keep their language and culture through the Quebec Act
c) Expelling them from Canada
d) Offering them money
What was the Quebec Act of 1744?
a) A trade agreement
b) A law allowing French speakers to keep their language, religion, and civil law
c) A military pact
d) A tax reform
How did the American War of Independence influence Canada’s language policy?
a) It made Britain stricter
b) It led Britain to allow French speakers to maintain their culture to avoid rebellion
c) It caused the French to leave
d) It had no effect
When did Canada officially become a united country?
a) 1534
b) 1610
c) 1744
d) 1867
When did French and English officially become Canada’s languages?
a) 1534
b) 1610
c) 1969
d) 1867
Why was the Quebec Act important in Canadian history?
a) It united Canada
b) It allowed French Canadians to retain their culture, helping avoid rebellion
c) It increased taxes
d) It ended wars
How did Canada support indigenous languages in 2019?
a) Made them official
b) Passed the Indigenous Languages Act to preserve them
c) Banned them
d) Made them compulsory in schools

Answers:

b) Due to European colonial history
b) English and French
a) 1534
b) Allowing them to keep their language and culture through the Quebec Act
b) A law allowing French speakers to keep their language, religion, and civil law
b) It led Britain to allow French speakers to maintain their culture to avoid rebellion
d) 1867
c) 1969
b) It allowed French Canadians to retain their culture, helping avoid rebellion
b) Passed the Indigenous Languages Act to preserve them

Advanced C1 (英検1級) Version:

Article: Why does Canada have two official languages? The presence of English and French as official languages in Canada is a direct result of European colonial history.

Canada is among more than 30 nations with multiple official languages, often due to the legacies of European colonization. However, Canada’s situation is distinct because both its official languages—English and French—are colonial. Indigenous languages, despite not being official, received support through the Indigenous Languages Act of 2019, which established measures for their preservation, education, and access to government services.

The French first settled in Canada in 1534, creating trading posts and eventually founding Quebec in 1608. The British established their first colony in 1610, and by the late 17th century, both nations had expanded their influence. Britain’s military victories over France in the 18th century resulted in British control of French settlements. However, the British allowed the French-speaking populace to retain their language and culture to prevent rebellion, especially during the American War of Independence. The Quebec Act of 1744 guaranteed these rights, indirectly shaping Canada’s linguistic landscape.

Canada became a unified country in 1867 under the Constitution Act, permitting the use of French and English in government, but it wasn’t until 1969 that the Official Languages Act formally recognized both languages as official. Canada’s bilingualism is thus a product of historical agreements, cultural persistence, and strategic concessions by the British government.

Questions:

What is the main reason Canada has two official languages?
a) Geographic location
b) European colonial history and strategic decisions
c) Economic agreements
d) Recent immigration policies
Which languages are Canada’s official languages?
a) French and Spanish
b) English and German
c) English and French
d) French and Portuguese
When did the French first establish a presence in Canada?
a) 1744
b) 1534
c) 1608
d) 1867
Why did the British allow French speakers to keep their language and culture?
a) To increase trade
b) To avoid rebellion and maintain control, especially during the American War of Independence
c) To promote education
d) To create a new language
What was the Quebec Act of 1744?
a) A law that banned the French language
b) A law allowing French Canadians to maintain their language, religion, and civil laws
c) A trade regulation
d) A military strategy
How did the American War of Independence influence Canada’s language policies?
a) It led to stricter controls
b) It encouraged the British to allow French speakers to maintain their culture
c) It had no effect
d) It resulted in French being banned
When did Canada officially unite as a country?
a) 1534
b) 1744
c) 1867
d) 1969
What role did the Constitution Act of 1867 play in Canada’s language history?
a) It declared Canada’s independence
b) It allowed both French and English to be used in government
c) It banned French
d) It created new laws for trade
When were French and English officially recognized as Canada’s languages?
a) 1534
b) 1867
c) 1969
d) 1744
How does Canada support indigenous languages today?
a) They are official languages
b) Through the Indigenous Languages Act, which promotes preservation and access
c) They are no longer spoken
d) They are taught in every school

Answers:

b) European colonial history and strategic decisions
c) English and French
b) 1534
b) To avoid rebellion and maintain control, especially during the American War of Independence
b) A law allowing French Canadians to maintain their language, religion, and civil laws
b) It encouraged the British to allow French speakers to maintain their culture
c) 1867
b) It allowed both French and English to be used in government
c) 1969
b) Through the Indigenous Languages Act, which promotes preservation and access

Original Version:

Why does Canada have two official languages? Canada has ended up with two official languages because of European colonialism.

Canada is not the only country in the world to have more than one official language. There are over 30 altogether. Not all of them, but with many you can see in the impact of European colonialism during the 16^th to 20^th centuries. The majority of these countries have the language the colonial nation brought and their own language. Many African countries have English or French and a majority local language as their official languages, but they also have an enormous number of minority languages as well, which is a result of the way the countries were created. However, Canada is a little unusual in this respect because its official languages are both those of colonizing nations and they don’t use a local language as an official language. That being said, in 2019, Canada passed the Indigenous Languages Act and created a minister of Indigenous Languages. This doesn’t make any indigenous languages an official language, but it does mean that they can be taught, recorded, and people who speak them will have access to government services using those languages.

So, why are English and French the official languages of Canada? French wasn’t made an official language until 1969, but to understand why, we need to go back and look at the origins of Canada.

Canada was the first part of the American continent to be settled by humans and that was about 15,000 years ago. After humans left Africa, possibly 60,000 years ago, they gradually spread out over the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. It took them about 45,000 years to reach the north of where Russia is now, and they crossed the Bearing Strait on ice bridges. 45,000 years seems like an awful long time for people to go from Africa to Canada, but there were several ice ages and prehistoric people would probably have stayed away from places that were too cold because there would have been very little food. The fact that they made it to Canada at all is amazing. Once there, they spread down through North America and into South America, forming many different tribes. By the time the first Europeans arrived, there were many different tribes that spoke over 300 different languages. Once the Europeans arrived, the number of indigenous people shrank rapidly, and languages died out with them. Currently, there are 150 indigenous languages still spoken in North America and Canada.

The French were the first Europeans to arrive in Canada. They first arrived there in 1534 and started to create trading posts. They made their first settlement in 1608, which would become Quebec. British settlers arrived in 1610 and the Hudson Bay Company was given permission to trade in 1670. Both countries continued to build settlements and forts, but France controlled more of the area that would become Canada than Britain did. At that time, Canada was a collection of lands and not a country. Then, over the 18^th century, Britain defeated France in several wars in Europe and in the Americas. Britain ended up controlling all of the French forts and settlements in Canada. The controlling British forces and government spoke English, but all of the people in the settlements had spent over 100 years speaking French and their culture was truly French. If they were going to avoid rebellion, there was not much the British could do about that, so they let the people speak French.

The stance of the British government was that more English speaking immigrants would move into the Quebec and other French speaking areas, greatly outnumbering the French speakers and forcing them to assimilate into British culture. That didn’t happen though, and the French speaks vastly outnumbered the English speakers in the area. Britain may have considered forcing the French speaking areas to speak English, but the American War of Independence changed their way of thinking. The 13 colonies started to rebel and Britain was very worried that the French speakers in Canada would rise up and join them. Britain would not be able to fight in America and put down that rebellion as well, so they passed the Quebec Act in 1744, which allowed the French people to keep their religions, their civil law, and their language. Interestingly, the Quebec Act ended up being one of the five reasons that the 13 colonies used to start the War of Independence. The Canadian colonies were united into one country in 1867 with the Constitution Act. This act made English and French the official languages of the Quebec government and it also allowed for both French and English to be spoken side by side in Canada. They weren’t official languages, but they were in law for the first time. It was only in 1967, one hundred years after the first law, that the Official Languages Act was passed and both French and English became the official languages of Canada. If it hadn’t been for the American War of Independence, all of Canada could be speaking English right now.

Questions:

Why does Canada have two official languages?
a) Geographic diversity
b) Due to European colonialism
c) Economic growth
d) Tourism policies
Which two languages are official in Canada?
a) English and Spanish
b) English and French
c) French and Italian
d) German and Portuguese
What significant law allowed French speakers in Canada to keep their culture and language?
a) Constitution Act
b) Quebec Act of 1744
c) Indigenous Languages Act
d) Trade Agreement of 1800
How did the American War of Independence affect Canada’s language policy?
a) It had no effect
b) It pressured Britain to keep the French-speaking population loyal
c) It united English and French speakers against the Americans
d) It forced Canada to speak English
When did Canada officially become one country?
a) 1534
b) 1608
c) 1867
d) 1969
What did the Constitution Act of 1867 do regarding languages?
a) Banned French
b) Allowed French and English in government
c) Made English official
d) Excluded indigenous languages
When did English and French become official languages of Canada?
a) 1744
b) 1867
c) 1969
d) 1608
What was Britain’s main concern regarding French speakers during the American War of Independence?
a) Trade disruption
b) Rebellion and loss of Canadian territories
c) Language mixing
d) Religious conflict
How are indigenous languages supported in Canada today?
a) As official languages
b) Through the Indigenous Languages Act
c) They are ignored
d) By making them compulsory in schools
What was the outcome of the Quebec Act for Canada’s French population?
a) Loss of language rights
b) Preservation of language, religion, and civil laws
c) Forced assimilation
d) Expulsion from Canada